New series alert! I love music and I love seeing what new music gets released. However, I constantly find myself behind with albums. So, I created this series. It's kind of like my Mini Movie Reviews series, except with albums. I've listened to a handful of albums over the past few months and I am going to briefly review all of them, gauntlet style. Each album will be graded from A+ to F. No reason why, just wanted to do something different from my movie reviews. With each album, I will list my favorite tracks and my least favorite track. You can click on the album names to go to the song I linked, or to the Bandcamp/SoundCloud page I linked. And of course, I haven't listened to everything. That is unrealistic. As the time of writing this, I am still in college and I am busy. The fact that I'm able to listen to albums at all right now is impressive. But these were albums that I was able to listen to, as well as my opinions. I am willing to cover some of the albums I missed in a future addition.
Also, at the very bottom, I will be giving you my favorite single of each month covered in this blog. That way, you can get some more song recommendations, as well as get an idea of what future album releases I'm excited for. For this addition, you will see my favorite single from January, February, and March.
Without further ado, let's get started.
William Maranci: The William Maranci Album
Genre: Electronic / Sample / Meme Music
Release Date: January 1
If you like memes mashups akin to Neil Cicierega, then I think you're gonna dig this. While nowhere near as good, as clever or as adventurous as his work, William Maranci has made an entertaining collection of electronics and samples, with some odd yet entertaining mashups. Some of the mashups do not work at all and a few of the songs grow really obnoxious really fast, but there are a fair amount of tracks that are pretty enjoyable. This isn't something that I will come back to often, or ever, but I had fun with it for what it was.
Score: C+
Best tracks: The Law; Balls; Prorickscous; Tool Time; Drop Suey; Papa X; Bohemian Wapsody
Worst track: Sins/Tragedies Song
Jazmine Sullivan: Heaux Tales (EP)
Genre: R&B / Pop
Release Date: January 8
This EP from contemporary R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan is a concept album of sex and femininity. In between almost every song is an anecdote of women talking about their love lives and their sex lives, really adding to the overall concept of the project. As for the music itself, it's pretty solid. It's full of nice production, sticky hooks and absolutely gorgeous singing. Not every melody works for me, and the last track is quite boring, but I respect what Sullivan is doing here. As for me, the songs that stray away from the contemporary R&B and pop sounds are my favorites. Not that the songs that lean more towards that contemporary sound are bad. It's simply my personal preference. This is a solid EP and I'm glad I checked it out.
Score: B
Best Tracks: Pick Up Your Feelings; Pricetags (feat. Anderson .Paak); Lost One; The Other Side
Worst Tracks: Girl Like Me (feat. H.E.R.)
Ashnikko: DEMIDEVIL
Genre: Electropop / Pop Rap
Release Date: January 15
I was expecting this to be a lot worse than what it actually was. While it's definitely not the style I vibe to, I can get behind the angsty yet colorful production. There are some solid beats here, and Ashnikko's vocal performance is good throughout. The lyrics range anywhere from pretty funny to pure, unadulterated cringe. There are some songs that are really corny and obnoxious. The best songs are fine, but there's not much here that I would willingly listen to out of context. I respect what's here, but this is not for me. Also, side note, what is this album cover? Why does it look like this? Why is it so ugly? I don't get it.
Score: C
Best Tracks: Toxic; Cry; Good While It Lasted
Worst Track: Slumber Party (feat. Princess Nokia)
shame: Drunk Tank Pink
Genre: Post Punk / Art Punk
Release Date: January 15
shame's sophomore album is full of post-punk bangers. The fiery performances, the very aggressive, very British vocals, and the clever lyrics all culminate into something full of energy. Punk has never been my favorite genre, but I found the musicianship here to be damn entertaining. There are a couple of melodies that don't really work for me, and the band definitely sounds a lot like their contemporaries, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this album. If you like punk, then I think you'll dig this.
Score: B+
Best Tracks: Born in Luton; March Day; Snow Day; Human, for a Minute; Great Dog; Harsh Degrees
Worst Track: Nigel Hitter
Weezer: OK Human
Genre: Orchestral Pop / Pop Rock
Release Date: January 29
I've never been a big Weezer fan, but I've always had a soft spot for them. There's something charming about their brand of music, even if it's played intentionally awkward. OK Human is the band's first foray into full on orchestral music, and it's a notable effort. While no song on this album is amazing, they all sound really nice with lovely string arrangements, crystal clear drums, and some nice acoustic guitar passages. Rivers Cuomo has never had the best singing voice, and there are some songs on here where his imperfections really show, but he does well here overall. The album's biggest flaw is that some of the lyrics are really corny. I appreciate the band getting personal, but some of the lines are lame. Besides that, this is a nice, easy listen. I completely understand why some consider this to be among the band's best. While I don't particularly love it, I do like it, and I think it's worth checking out for those that are curious.
Grade: B
Best Tracks: All My Favorite Songs; Grapes of Wrath; Numbers; Playing My Piano; Dead Roses
Worst Track: Aloo Gobi
Foo Fighters: Medicine At Midnight
Genre: Alternative Rock / Dance Rock
Release Date: February 5
I appreciate Foo Fighters trying to do something different here. There is some heavy David Bowie influence in many of these songs, and I admire them harkening to such a sound. This album also shows them working more with strings, synths, and drum loops. While I love that the band is getting somewhat experimental, this sounds like the same exact music this band has been producing for decades. It's not that this music is bad, as there are a handful of good tracks. However, for the most part, nothing really stands out. There are only two tracks on the entire album that I would call great. The rest of them range between fine and kinda crappy. That's about the same scenario that's been happening with their music ever since Sonic Highways. As much as I love this band for shaping my enjoyment for rock music, their more recent stuff has been rather "in one ear and out the other," and Medicine at Midnight is no different. It's not bad, but it doesn't leave much of an impression.
Score: C
Best Tracks: Making a Fire; Waiting On A War
Worst Track: Cloudspotter
The Weather Station: Ignorance
Genre: Art Pop / Sophisti-Pop
Release Date: February 5
After listening to "Robber" as a single last year, I was pumped to listen to this album. And for the most part, it did not disappoint. Ignorance is full of lush, gorgeous instrumentation. The pianos melt with each hit of the keys, and they match perfectly with the bass, the strings, and Lindeman's quiet yet intimate and vulnerable vocal delivery. Plus, the grooves are amazing. The use of percussion on this album is full of life and energy, making many of the songs here quite entertaining. My biggest complaint about the album is that the first half is much stronger than the second. The second half never gets bad, but there are a few songs on here that leave little impression and lack melodies for me to latch onto. Luckily, the album ends strongly. Overall, this is a damn solid album. If you like groovy, piano-centric pop, then this is certainly one that will tickle your fancy.
Score: A-
Best Tracks: Robber; Atlantic; Tried to Tell You; Parking Lot; Loss; Heart; Subdivisions
Worst Track: Separated
Black Country, New Road: For the first time
Genre: Experimental Rock / Post Punk / Art Rock / Post Rock
Release Date: February 5
This is kind of incredible. Black Country, New Road has crafted a post punk style that sounds so unique, creative, and full of life. The production is fantastic, as there's a lot of weight in the guitars and the drums. The use of horns add a lot of personality to the music, and they never feel out of place. The vocals sound like they are on the verge of a panic attack at every point, making each song sound like an act of paranoia. As a result, For the first time is an incredibly tight, compact 6-track, 40 minute album, with nothing feeling out of place. Many of the tracks have multiple phases, making each listen exciting. This isn't the kind of album to casually put on to listen to in the background. This requires full listening and full focusing. There is one song that lacks impact, and the album isn't one that I see myself coming back to too incredibly frequently, but I really do love this album. It's heavy, creative, dark, smart, and so much fun. Do not miss out on this.
Grade: A
Best Tracks: Instrumental; Athens, France; Science Fair; Sunglasses; Opus
Worst: Track X
slowthai: TYRON
Genre: UK Hip Hop / Trap
Release Date: February 12
This is a super weird connection, but here me out. TYRON reminds me of the TV series Moral Orel. It's not necessarily in terms of content or themes, but more in terms of structure. With Moral Orel, the first half is pretty funny and enjoyable, but not really substantial. The second half, however, gets real. The show gets a lot darker, sadder, and more serious. As a result, the show gets really damn good. That's more or less what happens with TYRON. The first half is full of pretty enjoyable bangers, but not much really grabs my attention. The second half is a masterpiece. The melodies get a lot sadder, the lyrics get more somber, the vocals become more understated, and the songs themselves grow so much better and more mature than anything in the first half. Overall, I do like this album quite a bit. If this entire project was just the second half, this would have been, at the very least, a 9/10 EP. As is, it's very good and I can't wait to see what slowthai does next.
Grade: B+
Best Tracks: DEAD; PLAY WITH FIRE; i tried; focus; terms (feat. Dominic Fike & Denzel Curry); push (feat. Deb Never); nhs; feel away (feat. James Blake & Mount Kimbie); adhd
Worst Track: MAZZA (feat. A$AP Rocky)
Julien Baker: Little Oblivions
Genre: Singer Songwriter / Indie Rock / Indie Pop / Indie Folk
Release Date: February 26
As of right now, Little Oblivions is my favorite album of 2021. It is an album that is so intimately personal, yet it offers a powerhouse of a musical statement. Baker uses a combination of guitars, strings, pianos, and drums to make a sound palette that sounds lush and full of life, yet forlorn and somber. It makes for some captivating, beautiful musicianship. Baker's vocal delivery is impeccable, and she shows a lot of vulnerability with not only her singing, but also her lyrics on substance abuse, depression, anxiety, and the want to be accepted. This is a sad album, but it feels so comforting as well. There are a few production choices that don't sit right with me on a couple songs, but besides that, I love this album. It's depressing yet hopeful, raw yet lush, and everything about this album is lovely. Do not miss this one.
Grade: A
Best Tracks: Hardline; Heatwave; Relative Fiction; Crying Wolf; Bloodshot; Ringside; Song in E; Highlight Reel
Worst Track: Repeat
Nick Jonas: Spaceman
Genre: Electropop / R&B
Release Date: March 12
I can appreciate what Nick is doing here. He's mixing pop and R&B in a way that's very sensitive and sexy. However, that doesn't save many of these songs from being incredibly boring. There's nice vocals and some solid production, but most of this album sounds like the same boring, radio friendly pop music that's been plaguing the charts for years. There are a few highlights here, but most of it is in one ear, out the other. There is nothing here that really impressed me, except for the singles and "Delicious." Everything else is either average at best or incredibly boring. I'm sorry, but this is not for me.
Grade: C-
Best Tracks: Spaceman; Delicious; This Is Heaven
Worst Track: Sexual
Selena Gomez: Revelacion (EP)
Genre: Latin Pop / Reggaeton
Release Date: March 12
I'm not a big fan of Selena Gomez's music. A lot of her stuff sounds rather bland and lifeless. I'm also not a huge fan of reggaeton as a genre. For me, it's mainly because of the use of percussion. I'm sorry, but using the same kind of drum pattern for every single song gets old after a while. I mainly listened to this EP because I was morbidly curious. And to her credit, this could have been a lot worse. The production is pretty good and her vocals are decent, so at least it's nice to listen to. My biggest problem with Revelacion is that, like most of Gomez's other songs, it lacks life. Many of the songs here come across quite flat and boring. There are a couple of good ballads here, but there wasn't much for me to get excited about on this EP as a whole. But hey, that's just this dumb American's opinion. If this sounds interesting to you, then go ahead and check it out.
Grade: C-
Best Tracks: Vicio; Selfish Love (feat. DJ Snake)
Worst Track: Baila Conmingo (with Rauw Alejandro)
Justin Bieber: Justice
Genre:
Release Date: March 19
I've heard some Justin Bieber songs in the past. However, this is my first experience listening to one of his albums in full. And I must say... I am still not a fan. At it's best, this album is decent. At it's worst, Justice is a self-indulgent slog with boring production, cringy lyrics, and uninteresting performances. Also, the uses of Martin Luther King Jr. sound clips are very out of touch. This album is way longer than it needs to be, and it's only 45 minutes. There are a handful of sweet love songs, but most of them remind of that Chance the Rapper "I love my wife" meme from a couple years ago. I'm glad that Justin is happy and he's found someone, but his joy is pulled off in such a boring and corny way here. I will not return to this one. As of right now, this is my least favorite album of the year.
Grade: D
Best Tracks: Off My Face; Somebody; Anyone
Worst Track: Holy (feat. Chance the Rapper)
serpentwithfeet: DEACON
Genre: Alternative R&B / Art Pop
Release Date: March 26
DEACON has a lot going for it. The production is full of color, being executed in a mesmerizing, ethereal way. Josiah's vocals are intimate, yet full of soul. There are some absolute romantic jams on here. However, there are some spots where the songs feels aimless. Many of the melodies sound like they have rather loose structures, which is fine, but it makes the songwriting a little sloppy and difficult to latch onto. I wouldn't say that anything on here is bad, and the good tracks are really good. I just think that some of the songs needed some work. Also, there is a vocal filter on Josiah's voice that I am not a fan of. It makes his vocals sound tinny. They're not as full as they could be. Despite all of those flaws, I do this is a decent album and it's worth checking out if your curious.
Grade: B-
Best Tracks: Hyacinth; Amir; Sailor's Superstition; Heart Storm (with NAO); Fellowship
Worst Track: Same Size Shoe
Favorite singles:
JANUARY: "here comes the sun" by Bill Wurtz
FEBRUARY: "The Princess and the Clock" by Kero Kero Bonito
MARCH: "Leave the Door Open" by Silk Sonic
Stay tuned for part 2, where I talk about albums released in April, May, and June!
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