Hello, and welcome to the fourth installment of Album Katchup 2022! This time, we are talking about projects released in October and November. I'm not including December because A) none of the projects releasing in December interest me all that much, B) December is reserved for end of the year lists and C) I simply don't want to. So you get what you get and you don't throw a fit. That's what my mom taught me. Anyways, as always, if you want to read the previous Album Katchup, click here, and if you want a taste of what these albums have to offer, click on the album names. With that said, let's begin!
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava
Release Date: October 7
Genre: Jazz Rock / Psychedelic Rock
This band is insane. First they released an album exclusive to vinyl in March. Then, in April, they released an album consisting of almost 90 minutes of material, spanning a wide variety of genres to psych rock to jazz to metal to rap. Now, the band is releasing THREE ALBUMS IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER! Yes, three. Their work ethic is ridiculous! Their first album of the month, aptly titled Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava, is a progressive jazz rock album, consisting of seven songs clocking in at a little over an hour. They are all multiphased, winding and containing some of the band's jammiest jam sessions ever. And you know what? This might be my favorite album of theirs since Nonagon Infinity. These songs are so intricate and packed with detail and texture that I can't help but admire them. They are all well written, each with their own identity and scales, as this is an album where each song uses a different Greek mode. That might not make sense to most people, but musicians, especially guitarists and those familiar with music theory, will find a lot to appreciate here. I also find their typical lyrics on environmentalism to be at their most captivating on this project, as the imagery they conjure up is rife with detail, giving these songs even more energy. As for nitpicks, as much as I love the longer lengths of these songs, there are points where a few of the songs start to drag. They don't get boring, but there is that feeling where you want the band to get to the point. I'm also not a big fan of the progression of "Lava." It's not a bad song and there's a lot to like here, but it's the biggest slow burn and the biggest left turn of the album to the point where it sounds out of place. Despite that, I love this album. It has some of the band's strongest material in a long time, and seeing this side of them on a full album was such a delight. I can't wait for the next two albums of Gizztober.
Grade: A-
Best Tracks: Ice V; Magma; Iron Lung; Gliese 710
Worst Track: Lava
Charlie Puth: Charlie
Release Date: October 7
Genre: Pop
One of the beautiful things about music is that it brings you in touch with your emotions. Often, the sound or the vibe of a song can give all sorts of feelings. Music can make you feel happy, sad, angry, sleepy and so much more. That's one of the things that I look for when I listen to music is if it gives me an emotional response. The emotion itself? Doesn't matter what it is. As long as I get to feel what the artist is trying to convey, then that is enough for me. I say all of this because this new Charlie Puth album, Charlie, makes me feel nothing. I get absolutely nothing out of this. No joy, no sorrow, no disgust... nothing. It's a blank slate of an album. Now, that's not to say that it's bad. Okay, well, it's kind of bad. It's one of the most bland, basic and boring pop albums I've heard all year. Sure, the production is fine and Charlie has a nice voice, but everything here sounds so artificial and melodramatic to the point where it washes over you, and by the end, you're just like "...okay." If there's only one thing of note that Charlie has, it's that the vocal processing is garbage. Charlie sounds robotic on some of these tracks because of how dolled up his vocals are. He doesn't sound human. But that's really it. If you're a Charlie Puth fan, you'll probably get more out of this than I did. I also think fans of the pop charts will enjoy this. Everyone else? Not worth it.
Grade: D+
Best Tracks: Light Switch
Worst Track: There's A First Time For Everything
Alvvays: Blue Rev
Release Date: October 7
Genre: Shoegaze / Indie Pop / Noise Pop / Indie Rock
This new Alvvays album is a solid little slice of noisy, shoegazy indie rock. The performances are tight, the vocals are charismatic and the sound of this album is often captivating. It's like a wall of melting guitars envelop you with each tune. Sometimes the production can get too overbearing and the album doesn't end as strong as it begins, but this is still a highly enjoyable album. It's not my favorite of the year, but for those that think that way, I completely understand why. Check it out.
Grade: B
Best Tracks: Easy On Your Own?; After The Earthquake; Pressed; Many Mirrors; Velveteen; Tile By Tile; Pomeranian Spinster
Worst Track: Fourth Figure
Open Mike Eagle: Component System with the Auto Reverse
Release Date: October 7
Genre: Abstract Hip Hop / Conscious Hip Hop / West Coast Hip Hop
I'm not very familiar with Open Mike Eagle's music. I mainly listened to this album because his song "Burner Account" was one of my favorite singles from last year. I went into this project not entirely knowing what to expect, and I walked away from it enjoying myself. This is a solid abstract hip hop record. Open Mike Eagle's flows are good, and his wordplay is full of equal parts wit and sorrow, making for some compelling songwriting. The beats are endlessly creative, and they give each song such a dour feel that I love. Really, the one thing that ends up handicap this album for me is the mixing. I'm not entirely sure what it is, but many of these songs sound muddy and cluttered. Also, some of the features give off some corny ass flows, mainly on songs like "Circuit City" and "Kites." Even still, there are enough great songs on here to make Component System with the Auto Reverse a worthwhile listen. It's certainly not my favorite project of the year, nor is it the best rap album of the year, but it is good and worth checking out.
Grade: B
Best Tracks: I'll Fight You; I Retired Then I Changed My Mind; Burner Account; Crenshaw and Homeland; Multi-Game Arcade Cabinet; CD Only Bonus Track
Worst Track: Circuit City
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: Laminated Denim
Release Date: October 12
Genre: Psychedelic Rock / Krautrock / Progressive Rock
King Gizzard's second album of the month is a spiritual successor to the vinyl exclusive Made in Timeland. Like that album, Laminated Denim consists of two fifteen minute tracks. However, unlike Made in Timeland, Laminated Dream is not a collection of random interludes. By that, I mean these are actual songs! Wowza! These two songs continue the jam band trend that they were doing on Ice, Death, Planets..., but going in a more laid back, psychedelic approach. I don't think either song is completely gripping throughout, but they are both very well written songs with many phases that grab me hard. "The Land Before Timeland's" has a riff in it that gets annoying quickly, but the rest of the song, particularly the outro, is pretty solid. "Hypertension" is killer. Sure, there are moments when the song drags, but I think this song manages to be more exciting than the previous one as a whole. As for the album itself, it's good. It's not their most essential listen, but it's definitely a good time and worthy of checking out, especially if you're a fan of the band. As a fan of the band myself, I had a blast with this thing.
Grade: B
Best Tracks: Hypertension; the last three minutes of The Land Before Timeland
Worst Track: the first two minutes of The Land Before Timeland
The 1975: Being Funny in a Foreign Language
Release Date: October 14
Genre: Pop Rock / New Wave
This is coming from someone who likes some music from The 1975, but doesn't really care about them all that much: this album is good. Very good, in fact. This is their shortest album to date, and because of that, the band was able to get focused and get more consistent with their songwriting, their sound and their production. As a result, this project feels pretty tight. The bops hit, the ballads are beautiful and the production as a whole is immaculate. Songs like "Happiness" and "I'm In Love With You" are some of the best pop tracks of the year, whereas tracks like "The 1975" and "When We Are Together" are some of the best ballads of the year. It's a very strong project. As for negatives, there are times when the mixing can get way too cluttered, causing some tracks to become a headache to listen to. The lyrics, while solid for the most part, can become corny to the point of being cringe-inducing. There's also a stretch in the middle that is pretty underwhelming. Despite that, this is a great album from The 1975. Fans of the band should absolutely check it out, but even if you're not, give it a listen. Who knows? You might be pleasantly surprised like I was.
Grade: B+
Best Tracks: The 1975; Happiness; Oh Caroline; I'm In Love With You; About You; When We Are Together
Worst Track: Wintering
Red Hot Chili Peppers: Return of the Dream Canteen
Release Date: October 14
Genre: Alternative Rock
Return of the Dream Canteen is RHCP's second album of the year, following Unlimited Love. And unsurprisingly, it suffers from a lot of the problems that that one did. It's way too long and full of filler, the songs tend to blend together and Anthony Kiedis often kneecaps otherwise perfectly fine songs with his ridiculously silly and nonsensical songwriting. There are, however, two notable differences that somewhat go hand-in-hand with each other. First off, this album sees the band experimenting more. There are more instances of pianos, saxophones and drum machines, and they switch up the formula a fair amount. Granted, the experimentation doesn't work all that often, but it's cool to see a band with this much of a legacy trying something new. This leads to my second noticeable difference between this and Unlimited Love. With Return of the Dream Canteen, the highs are higher and the lows are lower. I find myself loving tracks like "Eddie" and "Fake as Fu@k" much more than the majority of what the last album offered. On the other hand, you get some major duds like the insultingly repetitive "My Cigarette" and the insipid "La La La La La La La La." As a result, everything evens out, making this album just as good as the last one. In other words, Return of the Dream Canteen is fine. Red Hot Chili Peppers fans will get a lot out of this, and the good songs are certainly worth listening to. I don't plan on listening to this again, but I'm glad I did.
Grade: C+
Best Tracks: Eddie; Fake as Fu@k; Afterlife; Shoot Me a Smile; Bag of Grins; Copperbelly; Carry Me Home
Worst Track: La La La La La La La La
Plains: I Walked With You A Ways
Release Date: October 14
Genre: Alt-Country / Americana
Well this was a pleasant surprise! I went into this not really knowing what to expect, as I am not super familiar with the two artists that consist of Plains, but I found myself quite enjoying this. This is a really sweet, cute and catchy slice of country, consisting of great performances, lovely songwriting and two fantastic singers. Sure, it's nothing particularly new, but the songs here are full of so much life that I can't help myself but appreciate it. If you're a country fan, absolutely give this a shot. But hey, even if you're not a country fan, or if you're like me and is very selective about what music from the genre you enjoy, then check it out. It's a beautiful little country project and I definitely recommend it.
Grade: B+
Best Tracks: Summer Sun; Problem with It; Abilene; Hurricane; Last 2 On Earth; I Walked With You A Ways
Worst Track: Easy
Carly Rae Jepsen: The Loneliest Time
Release Date: October 21
Genre: Dance Pop / Synthpop / Synth Funk
At its best, The Loneliest Time contains some of the best pop music of the year. The production is full of bounce, Carly's voice has personality and the tunes themselves are so lively that I can't help myself but dance along to it. Tracks like "Surrender My Heart," "Talking to Yourself," "So Nice" and ESPECIALLY the title track are perfect in that regard. There are even some nice ballads in here as well, such as the lead single "Western Wind" and the acoustic lead "Go Find Yourself or Whatever." All of these songs are fantastic and make the album worth listening to. The rest of the album? Eh. It's not terrible or anything, but it is very bland and forgettable. Some songs even lose my interest as I'm listening to them, which is never a good sign. Really, the only dud on this project is "Beach House," which has some of the corniest writing on the entire project. So in the end, I have mixed feelings about The Loneliest Time. I really want to love this album, because there are some songs that I genuinely love. The album is just too messy and inconsistent for me to enjoy fully. But hey, still give it a shot, because that is just my opinion. And if you're wanting to listen to only one song on this project, make it the title track. It's one of the best pop singles of the year. Hands down.
Grade: B-
Best Tracks: Surrender My Heart; Talking to Yourself; Western Wind; So Nice; Go Find Yourself or Whatever; The Loneliest Time
Worst Track: Beach House
Arctic Monkeys: The Car
Release Date: October 21
Genre: Baroque Pop / Chamber Pop / Art Rock
I'm torn on this new Arctic Monkeys album. With The Car, the band sees themselves doubling down on the lounge stylings they were toying with on Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino, though going in a more chamber pop and baroque pop direction. As a result, you get a full orchestra acting as the backbone for every song here. Because of that, the production is genuinely beautiful throughout. The orchestration is lush and grand, and the way it fuses itself with the rock instrumentation is quite great. However, where this album falls apart is its songwriting. For the most part, the songs here are tedious to sit through. They often drag without much in the way of progression, and when there is progression, it's not very exciting. Alex Turner's lyrics are often nonsensical, and his voice doesn't quite suit this style. I dunno, man. It's pretty to listen to, but the songs aren't substantial enough to stick with me. If you liked the last Arctic Monkeys album, you'll enjoy this one, and if you want to hear some pretty strings, then give this a shot. For me, I guess I was hoping for something more. It's not terrible, but it's certainly not as solid as it could be. What I will say is that the good songs are quite good. It's just a shame that the not good tracks are quite, well... not good.
Grade: C
Best Tracks: There'd Better Be A Mirrorball; Sculptures Of Anything Goes; Body Paint; Hello You
Worst Track: Mr. Schwartz
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: Changes
Release Date: October 28
Genre: Psychedelic Pop / Jazz Pop / Progressive Pop
King Gizzard's fifth and final album of the year is yet another foray into jazz rock/jam band experimentation, but this time, the music is centered around keyboards. This project sounds like a 70s psychedelic funk album, and like the rest of the music King Gizzard released this year, it's pretty good. The instrumentation is varied and well performed, the songwriting is solid and the use of keyboards, flutes and saxophones make every song feel bright and sunny. This is easily the most consistently happy and poppy sounding outing King Gizzard has given to us this year. I do think there are some points when the mixing is a little off and while I do appreciate how tight the tracklist is, the pacing of the overall flow can lead to the album as a whole sounding underdeveloped. Despite that, King Gizzard is five for five this year. I still prefer Ice, Planets, Death... and even April's Omnium Gatherum over this one, but this is still a blast to listen to. To paraphrase Dr. Doofenschmirtz: "If I had a nickel for every time King Gizzard released five good albums in the same year, I would have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird it happened twice, right?"
Grade: B
Best Tracks: Change; Astroturf; Gondii
Worst Track: Exploding Suns
BEST TRACKS OF OCTOBER:
"The Loneliest Time (feat. Rufus Wainwright)" by Carly Rae Jepsen
"Hurricane" by Plains
"Where I Go (feat. H.E.R.)" by NxWorries
WORST TRACK OF OCTOBER:
"EDGING" by blink-182
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Drake & 21 Savage: Her Loss
Release Date: November 4
Genre: Trap / Pop Rap
Drake has returned with a "collaborative" album with 21 Savage. I say that because Drake is on this thing SO much more than 21 Savage is. Seriously, he sounds like a feature on his own project. These two have no chemistry with each other whatsoever. That annoyance aside, Her Loss is actually better than the past couple of Drake records. It's still not very good, as there are plenty of lame, cringy and boring moments here. However, there is some solid production, 21 Savage works well on most of these beats and Drake sounds the more awake than he has in a while. It's still not worth a listen as it is bloated with filler and there are some absolutely terrible tracks here, but the good tracks are pretty good. As a whole, this album is dull but average, which after Certified Loverboy and Honestly, Nevermind, I'll take it.
Grade: C-
Best Tracks: Rich Flex; On BS; Pussy & Millions; Middle of the Ocean; 3AM on Glenwood
Worst Track: Circo Loco
Joji: Smithereens
Release Date: November 4
Genre: Alternative R&B / Dream Pop
Joji frustrates me. I like his music. I think he has a lot of potential, and his good songs are really damn good. With each album, however, he never really realizes that potential, resulting in his projects feeling half baked, underwhelming and poorly executed. Smithereens included. Like his past two projects, there are some fantastic songs here. "Glimpse of Us" is a genuinely gorgeous and heartbreaking ballad, and it makes perfect sense as to why it blew up like it did. "Die For You" is one of the spaciest songs here, and it is beautiful. Every listen feels like I'm getting enveloped in this serene wall of music, and I love it. The interlude "YUKON" has a nice groove and a solid hook. The rest of the album, sadly, feels WAY too underdeveloped. The album is 9 songs at 24 minutes. Because of its length, as well as the general sound of the album, most of this goes in one ear and out the other. Plus, there are certain ideas here that never get fleshed out due to how short they are. I really wanted to love this album. It had so much promise, but it sounds unfinished. In a way, this is probably Joji's most consistent album, as it is his tightest. There isn't a whole lot going for it other than that. If you're a Joji fan, you'll probably like this a lot. At the very least, everyone should listen to "Glimpse of Us." It's one of his best songs ever. There isn't anything here that's awful or even bad, but it doesn't leave much of an impression, and I will forget it exists within the next few weeks.
Grade: C
Best Tracks: Glimpse of Us; Die For You; YUKON (INTERLUDE)
Worst Track: BLAHBLAHBLAH DEMO
Nas: King's Disease III
Release Date: November 11
Genre: East Coast Hip Hop / Trap / Boom Bap / Jazz Rap
With King's Disease III, Nas proves that at 50 years old, he's still got it. The production is great, Nas's flows are killer and his lyricism is often mature and insightful. There are a great selection of bangers here, and I can't help but dance to them with each listen. There is a lull in the middle of the album and not every line Nas writes is great, but this is still a very well made and entertaining album. Sure, it's still not on the level of Illmatic, but let's face it, he will never make an album like that one again. Even still, this is great hip hop. Absolutely check it out.
Grade: A-
Best Tracks: Ghetto Reporter; Legit; Thun; Michael & Quincy; Hood2Hood; Recession Proof; Once a Man, Twice a Child; Get Light; First Time; Beef; Til My Last Breath
Worst Track: WTF SMH
Quadeca: I Didn't Mean To Haunt You
Release Date: November 11
Genre: Folktronica / Art Pop / Experimental Hip Hop
I honestly don't think I would have checked this out if not for the singles and the reception of this album. "tell me a joke" and "born yesterday" are two fantastic songs, combining trip hop and psychedelic folk to create some of the most uniquely weird yet beautiful singles I've heard all year. On top of that, people in general seemed to really love this album, with high scores on websites like Album of the Year and Rate Your Music. I got curious, so I checked it out. And yeah, this was worth the hype. On I Didn't Mean To Haunt You, Quadeca has given us a concept album from the perspective of a ghost as he looks at the lives of those he loves. It is such a creative concept, and it is told in such a unique and ethereal way. This album truthfully has some of the best production I've heard all year. It is so overwhelming yet serene, as the instrumentation often sounds like a cluttered hodge podge of sounds. It gives these songs such a, no pun intended, haunting vibe, and it sounds so good. Plus, the songs are just solid. Sure, there are moments when some of the songs feel like they don't really go anywhere or don't have a whole lot going for them other than the production, but the moments that hit hit HARD. Whether it be the singles I previously mentioned, the unexpected heavily distorted banger that is "knots," the slow build in "fantasyworld" or Danny Brown playing the part of noxious gas in "house settling," the project is brimming cool sounds and ideas. I hope that Quadeca takes what he's doing here and goes even further. Even though this is great and I highly recommend it, the ideas can use some polishing every once in a while to make the songs more cohesive. Plus, there are some songs where you can definitely tell he's wearing his influences on his sleeve. That's not entirely a bad thing as all artists have influences, but he can absolutely do more to flesh those influences out to truly make them his own. Despite that, I thought this was excellent. It's one of the most unique listens I've had all year, as well as one of the most weirdly beautiful. I know there's this whole stigma about Youtubers branching out to make music and how it is always terrible, but this breaks that stereotype greatly. I highly recommend this. It won't be for everybody, but it is certainly for me.
Grade: A-
Best Tracks: sorry4dying; tell me a joke; born yesterday; house settling; knots; fantasyworld; fractions of infinity
Worst Track: picking up hands
BROCKHAMPTON: The Family
Release Date: November 17
Genre: Pop Rap / Experimental Hip Hop / Southern Hip Hop
The Family is the final album from rap collective/boyband BROCKHAMPTON... or at least it was until they announced another album that would be releasing the following day. But I digress. In reality, The Family acts as the end of BROCKHAMPTON's story. This project consists of 17 songs clocking in at 35 minutes, and Kevin Abstract is the only person featured. Yeah, despite a couple of Bearface features, all you here is Kevin's voice. This is really a solo project detailing the history of BROCKHAMPTON. He raps about the highs and the lows, consisting of the heights of the Saturation trilogy, the toxic relationships between him and the other members of the group, his criticisms against the label and the fans, the fact that the group is definitely broken up with no signs of coming together and so much more. This is definitely a sad and bittersweet album, especially if you're a fan of the group like I am. And even through all of this, this project contains Kevin's best writing and performances throughout. He sounds more alive here than ever before, and his verses are biting and so refreshingly honest. This project took a lot of guts, and it makes sense that this is a "final" album. Now how are the songs themselves? Honestly, it's hard to dissect them individually. This project reminds me of Earl Sweatshirt's Some Rap Songs. By that, I mean these are a collection of distinct songs, yet they flow together in a way that this sounds like an intentionally choppy yet multiphased 35 minute song. In that regard, this is an impressive body of work. This project also contains some of the boldest and most experimental production BROCKHAMPTON has ever had to offer. Really, the thing that prevents this from being amazing is the fact that some songs come across underdeveloped both in terms of length and in terms of song structure. There are very few choruses on this project, which isn't inherently a bad thing, but I can't help but feel like some of these tracks lack development to really grip me. In fact, there's a section in the middle that straight up sounds like Kevin made 3 interludes in a row. Despite that, I think this is a very good album. It's certainly not BROCKHAMPTON's best, but it is a powerful, well written and creative outing, all while acting as a natural conclusion for those that have been keeping up with BROCKHAMPTON's history. This is absolutely worth checking out, but if you haven't listened to anything by them, save this one for last.
Grade: B
Best Tracks: Take It Back; Gold Teeth; Big P****; All That; 37th; Boyband; The Family; The Ending; Brockhampton
Worst Track: Southside
BROCKHAMPTON: TM
Release Date: November 18
Genre: Pop Rap / West Coast Hip Hop / Trap / Cloud Rap
While The Family is the ending of BROCKHAMPTON as a collective, TM is kind of like an epilogue or a closing credits album. It features the band getting together one last time to close out their discography. And I have to be honest... I'm not crazy about it. Sure, there are some great songs and it's nice to hear them rapping as a group for one final time, but the songwriting and production are pretty bland. On TM, they start embracing stylings of trap and cloud rap, and it doesn't always come across in too many interesting ways. Really, the weakest parts happen at the beginning and the end. "ANIMAL" and "LISTERINE" in particular sound like musical wallpaper. The good songs, however, take place in the middle and they are REALLY good. "NEW SHOES" is a classic BROCKHAMPTON banger, "KEEP IT SOUTHERN" has some of the most creative production on the album, "MAN ON THE MOON" is one of the best bops the group has ever made and "CRUCIFY ME" ends with an insane and gorgeous piano solo. There are great moments here. The rest of the album I can take or leave. While listening, you can definitely tell this is the group at their most fractured because they don't always sound like they're into it. Even still, this isn't a bad album. Far from it. I'd say it's decent. It might be the weakest outing BROCKHAMPTON has made, but it's still a respectable closer for the group, and I wish them all the best as they take on their solo endeavors. Check it out if you want.
Grade: C+
Best Tracks: NEW SHOES; KEEP IT SOUTHERN; MAN ON THE MOON; CRUCIFY ME
Worst Track: LISTERINE
Nickelback: Get Rollin'
Release Date: November 18
Genre: Hard Rock
So here's the thing. This new Nickelback album? It's not good. Surprise, surprise. Though I will admit that for the first half of my listening experience, I was having a good time. It's not because the songs were good. Oh no, it is certainly not that. I was actually laughing at how bad they were. The lyrics are so unintentionally hilarious and the butt rock riffs completely ruin any modicum of genuine enjoyment as each track in the first half veers towards the ironic. There are even a couple of songs that are full on bro country. It's so stupid, but I will admit that I was enjoying myself. The first five songs would make for the best guilty pleasure EP of the year. But then, the album keeps going and it turns into... a Nickelback album. And by that, I mean the music is SO bland and uninspired. It's kind of amazing how strong a shift into the boring and monotonous this project turned. This album really is at its best when it's not taking itself too seriously. Sure, those songs aren't good, but at least you could have fun with them. The tracks in the latter half are just bad. Though I will say, the worst song here comes from the first half. It is easily "Those Days," though it is really funny. Yeah, this thing is bad. One of the worst of the year, even though I do enjoy parts of it ironically. If you're a Nickelback fan, you'll probably enjoy this, and it's good for a decent laugh for a bit. However, after a while, it's best to just turn it off.
Grade: D-
Best Tracks: San Quentin
Worst Track: Those Days
Weyes Blood: And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow
Release Date: November 18
Genre: Baroque Pop / Singer-Songwriter / Psychedelic Folk
LET'S FREAKING GOOOO! For those that don't know, Weyes Blood is a singer-songwriter who released one of my favorite albums in the past few years: Titanic Rising. That album features some of the most luscious and gorgeous instrumentation I've ever heard in my life, as well as beautiful singing and writing. Plus, it has probably the coolest album cover I've ever seen. If you've seen it, you'll know what I mean. It's an incredible project, and I cannot recommend it enough. Ever since then, I have been highly anticipating a follow up. And let me tell you, this does not disappoint. And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow is full of production and instrumentation similar to Titanic Rising. By that, I mean it is ornate, pleasant and beautiful throughout, centering around pianos and guitars. This time around, the songwriting is a lot more winding, whereas the production itself is a bit more stripped down. It's a nice juxtaposition, and it works perfectly with Natalie's soothing vocals and well written lyrics. On top of that, the songs are SO PRETTY! Good lord! Every time I listen to these tracks, I am put in a trance. It's like I can't do anything until I finish these songs. That's how captivating and stunning these tracks are. Plus, they are catchy. The choruses of "It's Not Just Me, It's Everybody," "Hearts Aglow," "Twin Flame" and "The Worst Is Done" slap. And "God Turn Me Into a Flower" is just... wow. Like "Movies" off of Titanic Rising, "God Turn Me Into a Flower" is the album's showstopper. It is easily one of the most stunning pieces of music I've heard all year. It is an immaculate piece of ambient pop, and it manages to be spellbinding for six and a half minutes. If you only listen to one song on this album, make it that one. The only nitpicks that I have, and trust me, they are nitpicks, is that some of the longer songs can melt into the background at certain points and the final track isn't as memorable as some of the others, but that's it. Once again, Weyes Blood kills it. Check it out.
Grade: A
Best Tracks: It's Not Just Me, It's Everybody; Children of the Empire; Grapevine; God Turn Me Into a Flower; Hearts Aglow; Twin Flame; The Worst Is Done
Worst Track: And In The Darkness
BEST TRACKS OF NOVEMBER:
"Big P****" by BROCKHAMPTON
"A Sky Like I've Never Seen (feat. Tim Bernardes)" by Fleet Foxes
"God Turn Me Into a Flower" by Weyes Blood
WORST TRACK OF NOVEMBER:
"The DJ Is Crying For Help" by AJR
Stay tuned for the final Album Katchup of the year, where I talk about some of the other projects from January through September that I listened to but didn't get the chance to talk about!
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