Hello, and welcome to the first addition of Album Katchup 2022! This is the series where I quickly review a bunch of albums I listened to over the past few months. This particular issue covers 25 albums released from January through March, with one exception being released on Christmas Eve of last year. If you want to get a taste of each album before you decide to listen to them in their entirety, feel free to click on the album names. Doing so will take you to one of their songs in their respective tracklist. And of course, I can't cover everything, so if there's a particular album missing from this list that you wanted me to cover... deal with it. Anyways, let's begin!
Nas: Magic
Release Date: December 24, 2021
Genre: East Coast Hip Hop / Boom Bap
After releasing the fantastic King's Disease II earlier in the year, Nas decided to give us one more dose of hip hop right before the close of 2021. Magic shows Nas going towards a sound that reminds me a lot of Illmatic. The production is solid, and Nas's flows and lyricism are pretty great. The beats in general don't grab me as much as either of the two projects I mentioned, and the album is way too short at nine tracks and twenty nine minutes, but it's cool to see Nas take his 90s sound and spin it in a way that makes it sound fresh. Overall, it's a good album, and I'm excited to see what Nas has in store for us with the upcoming King's Disease III.
Grade: B
Best Tracks: Speechless; Meet Joe Black; Hollywood Gangsta; The Truth; Dedicated
Worst Track: Wu for the Children
Gunna: DS4EVER
Release Date: January 7
Genre: Trap / Southern Hip Hop
I don't know what I was expecting when I decided to listen to this. I already don't like trap as a genre. Was this album really going to sway me? Really? Anyways, DS4EVER is a total snooze fest. The beats are all boring. Gunna is asleep at the mic throughout the album, and his lyrics are quite bad. It's embarrassing when literally every single feature outshines your main artist. The production is alright and there is one song that I genuinely liked, but everything else is mediocre at best. It's not even bad in an interesting way. This thing is just dull. It's one of those albums that you forget you've listened to immediately after it ends. At least it's listenable, I guess.
Grade: D-
Best Track: die alone
Worst Track: how you did that
FKA Twigs: CAPRISONGS
Release Date: January 14
Genre: Alternative R&B
The modern art pop queen, FKA Twigs, has given us a mixtape. With this project, she delves into a more mainstream R&B sound. It combines elements of R&B, trap, pop, drum & bass and even some reggaetón to make a more stripped down and raw sounding experience. As a result, you get a collection of really solid ballads and some great bops. The production is immaculate throughout, and Tahliah's vocals sound as gorgeous as ever. The collection of features she pulled are great, each serving their respective tracks quite well. Plus, it's cool seeing this side of Tahliah that we didn't get to see on her albums. Now, since this is a shift in genre, as well as being classified as a mixtape instead of an album, there's something missing from this project that's holding me back from loving it. I'm not entirely sure exactly what it is, as this project is doing a great job and nailing the vibe it's going for. However, it is missing a little bit of soul. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as this thing is a lighter, more fun experience, but compared to her other works, it makes this project sound a somewhat inconsequential. Plus, there are a few duds in the tracklist that cause me to scratch my head. And those interludes? Scrap them. They're unnecessary. Overall, I like CAPRISONGS, but it certainly doesn't meet the same levels that her albums or her latest EP hit. It's still got some great tunes on it, so check it out. I'm just hoping that her next full length album has a bigger grasp on me than this one.
Grade: B-
Best Tracks: ride the dragon; meta angel; tears in the club; lightbeamers; careless; minds of men; darjeeling; thank you song
Worst Track: which way
Cordae: From a Bird's Eye View
Release Date: January 14
Genre: Conscious Hip Hop / Southern Hip Hop
Cordae's sophomore studio album is like a plain white t-shirt: you have it and it feels comfortable to wear, but everyone has one and it's not necessarily something to get excited over. By that, I mean From a Bird's Eye View is serviceable, but it's pretty bland by rap standards. Cordae has a pretty decent flow, but he lacks the wordplay and the charisma to truly stand out as a performer. There are a few nice beats here, but most of them fall into the background pretty quickly. The sonic palette of this album is safe and boring, just like a plain white T. This is a project that I will forget even exists within two weeks. It offers nothing special. Sure, it's listenable, and there are even some spots that sound nice, but it's not something to get excited over. It's about as mid as mid can be.
Grade: C-
Best Tracks: Jean-Michel; Sinister; Champagne Glasses; Westlake High
Worst Track: Super
Yard Act: The Overload
Release Date: January 21
Genre: Post-Punk
Post-Punk, as a genre, can be pretty hit or miss for me. When it hits, you get some of the most emotionally compelling, dense, wild and fun music you can find. When it doesn't, you get something like Yard Act's The Overload. Yeah, I was not feeling this project at all. There are a few enjoyable tracks, but there are many things about the album that get on my nerves. The instrumentation is pretty uninteresting and by the numbers, the political commentary is preachy to the point of pretentiousness and the vocals are, more often than not, unbearable. He sounds like a cross between the Talking Head's David Byrne and Slowthai. I simply could not find a whole lot to enjoy about this album. Those that are more attuned to post-punk will probably like this more than me, but honestly, I don't really see the appeal.
Grade: D+
Best Tracks: The Overload; Land of the Blind; Pour Another
Worst Track: Rich
Amber Mark: Three Dimensions Deep
Release Date: January 28
Genre: Contemporary R&B / Neo-Soul
I was excited to hear this project thanks to Amber's excellent singles she released last year. Luckily, the full project she's been teasing towards is quite good. Amber has proven to me that she is fantastic at making pop hooks. They are instantly catchy, and they pair well with Amber's bold, powerful and beautiful vocals. The production is nice as well. The sounds are full of color and exuberance, and they back up these hooks nicely. Plus, there are plenty of excellent grooves. "FOMO," "Foreign Things" and "Competition" are three impeccable bops, and they are the three tracks I recommend the most out of the entire tracklist. Now, on the flip side, there are a few growing pains that Three Dimensions Deep contains. Amber mainly sticks with pop and R&B as her styles, but she also experiments with other genres, like dancehall, reggaeton and even psychedelic ambient. Those experiments don't always work, though, as some of those melodies get really awkward. "Out Of This World" in particular sounds like an extended transition with one of the clunkiest hooks on the entire project. In general, this album is pretty bloated. It's seventeen tracks at an hour long. It's ambitious, especially for a debut, but there is clearly some filler being put on here. If this album were four, maybe five songs shorter, then it would be great. However, as it stands, Three Dimensions Deep is a solid debut for Amber Mark, and I hope she only improves and grows from here.
Grade: B
Best Tracks: One; What It Is; FOMO; Foreign Things; On & On; Cosmic; Darkside; Worth It; Competition; Bliss
Worst Track: Out Of This World
Anaïs Mitchell: Anaïs Mitchell
Release Date: January 28
Genre: Singer-Songwriter / Chamber Folk
The creator of Hadestown is back with her first album in twelve years. I wasn't super familiar with Anaïs's career other than a few songs off of Hadestown, so I went into this project with full curiosity and skeptisicm. I am now a fan. Anaïs Mitchell's self titled project is full of love, life and heart, as the instrumentation envelops you in these lovely acoustic guitar and piano passages. The sounds of this album are simple yet beautiful and comforting. Anaïs's songwriting is sweet and wise as she discusses themes of love, youth, growing up, sadness and more. Her voice is intimate yet full of character, and her lyricism is full on poetry. This entire project is like a reunion with an old friend where you give each other a big hug, catch up and reminisce about life and where you are now. In fact, I can't help but tear up in a few spots near the end of the album because of how sweet they are (I'm looking at you, "Now You Know"). Sure, this project isn't the most unique sounding album in the world, and there are a couple songs that are awkwardly written, but I can't help but love this album. Anaïs Mitchell has graced us with a gorgeous, satisfying and undeniably cozy project that I cannot wait to come back to throughout the year. In my opinion, this is the first great album of 2022 (at least of the ones that I listened to).
Grade: A-
Best Tracks: Brooklyn Bridge; Bright Star; On Your Way (Felix Song); Little Big Girl; Now You Know; The Words; Watershed
Worst Track: Backroads
BEST SINGLES OF JANUARY:
"Funny Girl" by Father John Misty
"Simulation Swarm" by Big Thief
"Walkin" by Denzel Curry
WORST SINGLE OF JANUARY:
"Mona Lisa" by Lil Pump (ft. Soulja Boy)
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Black Country, New Road: Ants From Up There
Release Date: February 4
Genre: Art Rock / Post-Rock / Chamber Pop
In just under a year, Black Country, New Road have released their second studio album. 2021's for the first time was a fantastic debut from them, showcasing a brilliant display of tension through songwriting with the instrumentation and Isaac Wood's lyrics and vocals. Now, with Ants From Up There, the band has gone in a more melodic direction, resulting in bolder songs, production and performances. Where for the first time is an excellent display of musical and thematic anxiety, this album is an excellent display of musical and thematic sorrow. The guitar tones are cleaner, the instrumental passages are less angular and it all culminates into a gorgeous set of tracks. Isaac Wood's lyrics are still on point, with certain passages still crawling in my head weeks after listening to the full project, and his singing is as impassionate as ever. His vocal style certainly won't appeal to everybody, but it suits the sound so well, and I'm going to miss him as the frontman now that he has quit the band. There are also stronger hooks on this project, as well as a greater sense of build and release. The closing track in particular, "Basketball Shoes," which the entire album was written around, is the band's greatest artistic statement thus far. The few nitpicks I have for this project are pretty specific. The intro does not leave that much of an impression, especially compared to "Instrumental," which kicked off their last album. Plus, there are a couple of instances where the mixing could have been better balanced. The biggest culprit is "Snow Globes," whose drums are so loud and overpowering, they completely swallow the entire track. Despite that, I loved Ants From Up There. I'm still debating on which album I prefer more, as both this and their debut are amazing. Just know that Black Country, New Road are two for two, and though it is sad that their singer and lead songwriter has left the band, I have high hopes that the band will continue to progress from here.
Grade: A
Best Tracks: Chaos Space Marine; Concorde; Bread Song; Good Will Hunting; Haldern; The Place Where He Inserted the Blade; Basketball Shoes
Worst Track: Intro
Korn: Requiem
Release Date: February 4
Genre: Nu Metal / Alternative Metal
My thoughts on this new Korn album can be summed up with this gif:
In other words... it's a Korn album. What more do you expect?
Grade: K for Korn
Best Tracks: Worst Is On Its Way (this is primarily due to the "Freak on a Leash" style beatboxing near the end of the song)
Worst Track: I don't know, who cares?
Mitski: Laurel Hell
Release Date: February 4
Genre: Art Pop / Synthpop
Mitski is an artist that I have immense appreciation for. She is a great lyricist, and the way she mixes indie rock with synthpop can be pretty fantastic. However, her albums have never fully clicked with me. Laurel Hell included. There are some solid bops on here, primarily the singles, but I can't help but feel like something is missing. Throughout the album, Mitski switches between more upbeat sounding 80s pop tunes to synthesized slowburners. However, the end result comes across as more dull than anything. Even on boppier cuts like "Should've Been Me..." I mean, yes, it's got a nice groove, but its washed out production prevents me from vibing to it fully. Plus, some of the slowburns are straight up tedious. "Working for the Knife" has a drab melody that lacks a satisfying progression, and "Everyone" is full on awful. It's boring, repetitive and goes nowhere as it drones on and on. I don't know. There are some aspects about this album that I like a lot, but there are just as many things that are holding me back. If you're a Mitski fan, then you will undoubtedly love it. As for me, it's okay, but I don't see myself returning to this one much at all.
Grade: C
Best Tracks: Stay Soft; Heat Lightning; The Only Heartbreaker; Love Me More
Worst Track: Everyone
Alt-J: The Dream
Release Date: February 11
Genre: Art Pop / Indietronica
The Dream is Alt-J's first album five years following 2017's Relaxer. That album, in my opinion, was an absolute mess. The singles were great, but everything else had sloppy production and songwriting, causing most of the songs to be completely dull. Luckily, The Dream is a bit of a bounce back. Like Relaxer, there are some great moments. Some of the ballads are powerful and heartbreaking, like "Get Better," which is about the death of the protagonist's love, with the song ending with the main character listening to a tape recording of her saying "get better." It hit me like a ton of bricks, and it stands as one of the heaviest moments the band has ever made. Then, there are some songs that provide use with some of the kooky fun that Alt-J is known for, specifically "Hard Drive Gold," whose satirical take on crypto results in this song being the best crypto song ever. There are flashes of brilliance here. Unfortunately, there are also other moments that fall under the same trappings Relaxer did. It's a little all over the place, and some of the songs drag really quickly. There are also some moments where the production sounds flat and dry, which sucks considering how colorful the production on their first two albums were. Overall, I think The Dream is decent. It's certainly better than Relaxer, but it certainly doesn't leave as much of an impact as it wants to. Still, there are some great tunes here, and I think it's worth checking out, especially if you are a fan of the band.
Grade: B-
Best Tracks: Bane; Hard Drive Gold; The Actor; Get Better; Philadelphia
Worst Track: Walk a Mile
Big Thief: Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You
Release Date: February 11
Genre: Indie Folk / Folk Rock / Alt-Country
Folk rock band Big Thief are back with their biggest album yet. At twenty tracks, totaling 80 minutes, this thing is a monster. I was excited to check this out because of how good the singles were, but I was hesitant. I mean, this thing is huge! How could you possibly make an album this long and have it not drag? Also, with an album at this length, there's gotta be a good chunk of filler, right? Well... I have good news. Somehow, Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You does not have either of these problems. This project is straight fire from beginning to end. All of these songs are so lush and ornate, as they switch between subtle folk balladry, indie rock bops and swampy country jams. It results in some of the most calming yet engrossing music I've heard in a while. The instrumentation is great throughout, the songwriting is stellar and there are so many catchy as hell moments. Adrienne Lenker has a unique voice that can be off-putting at times, but here, she has never had this much charisma and charm. I absolutely love it. I truly adore almost every single track here. Now, when it comes to tracklists this long, I can't help but ask myself "how many songs would I cut to make this project stronger?" The answer? Three, at the very most. That's how good this project is. Sure, there are a few experiments that don't quite work, but a vast majority of them do. This will easily be one of the best projects of the year. If you haven't listened to it yet, do it now! It's so GOOD! AAAHHH!
Grade: A
Best Tracks: Change; Time Escaping; Spud Infinity; Certainty; Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You; Little Things; Heavy Bend; Flower of Blood; Blurred View; Red Moon; No Reason; Promise Is a Pendulum; Simulation Swarm; Love Love Love; The Only Place; Blue Lightning
Worst Track: Wake Me up to Drive
Spoon: Lucifer on the Sofa
Release Date: February 11
Genre: Indie Rock
Spoon is one of those bands that I really need to dive into, because what I've heard from them is quite solid. This album included. Lucifer on the Sofa is a damn fine rock album with explosive performances, great production, catchy songwriting and a lot of swagger. You get some absolute bangers, like the Queens of the Stone Age inspired "The Hardest Cut," to moody ballads like "The Devil & Mister Jones" and "Wild." The instrumentation is pretty stellar, especially when it comes to the guitar driven tracks. The songs that center around the piano are hit or miss for me. When it comes to those moments, the songwriting doesn't feel as urgent or as gripping. Songs like "My Babe" and "Astral Jacket" sound nice, but they don't do enough to be compelling. The only piano-centric song that I dug was "Satellite," which has a cool, spacey breakdown that I like a lot. Overall, I think Lucifer on the Sofa is really good. It has some great ragers and some great ballads. Rock fans will certainly dig this.
Grade: B
Best Tracks: Held; The Hardest Cut; The Devil & Mister Jones; Wild; Satellite
Worst Track: Astral Jacket
Foxes: The Kick
Release Date: February 11
Genre: Dance Pop / Electropop / Synth Pop
Here's what I have to say about The Kick: if you like early 2010s pop, especially artists like Katy Perry, then you will love this album. It has that feel with glossier production and instrumentation. As for me, I appreciate this album and how vibrant it is. There are some good bops and some nice ballads. It does come off a little bit one note, as most of these songs have a very similar vibe. Plus, while I think Louisa has a good voice, I don't think she quite has the vocal presence for this sound. Sometimes, her singing compliments the music quite nicely, especially on "Sky Love." However, most of the time, I can't help but feel like she sounds out of place. Even still, The Kick is a pretty solid pop album that you should absolutely listen to.
Grade: B-
Best Tracks: Sister Ray; The Kick; Body Suit; Absolute; Forgive Yourself; Sky Love
Worst Track: Dance Magic
Beach House: Once Twice Melody
Release Date: February 18
Genre: Dream Pop / Neo-Psychedelia
Dream pop outfit Beach House have released their biggest album yet. It's eighteen songs, split between 4 EPs, clocking in at an hour and 24 minutes. This thing is massive, but it's very good. The production is immaculate. The use of synths and strings in all of these songs are gorgeous, and there is some excellent songwriting here. There is this blissful serenity that permeates throughout the album, and I cannot get enough of it. The first two EPs in particular are near perfect. Almost everything from "Once Twice Melody" to "Over and Over" is pure gold. The only track that I don't love in the first half of the full album is "Runaway," but even that song has a cool beat. The last two EPs are still good, but you can tell that the overall project is dragging its feet. Some of the slower, more scant songs appear here, and while there are some strong highlights, like the haunting bop "Masquerade" and the epic closer "Modern Love Stories," there are some extremely dull moments. A few songs in the back end sound washed out in terms of production to the point of making the track feel blasé. However, despite its pacing issues, I found Once Twice Melody to be great. It's certainly not perfect and could have used a trimming, but the best songs here will be some of the most beautiful songs you'll listen to all year. Check it out.
Grade: A-
Best Tracks: Once Twice Melody; Superstar; Pink Funeral; Through Me; ESP; New Romance; Over and Over; Only You Know; Another Go Around; Masquerade; Finale; Many Nights; Modern Love Stories
Worst Track: Illusion of Forever
Tears For Fears: The Tipping Point
Release Date: February 25
Genre: Pop Rock / Synthpop
Classic bands have a difficult time in the current landscape of music. Sure, there are many bands from the 70s and 80s still making music today. However, due to their status when they were initially big, as well as the general evolution of music, a lot of times, those classic artists tend to either sound outdated or out of touch when it comes to their new music. Enter the classic synthpop outfit Tears For Fears: a band responsible for many classic 80s hits, such as "Mad World," "Shout," and one of my favorite songs of all time, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." They released a new album, and you know what? It's not bad. I think this band did a great job at giving their sound an update while staying generally true to themselves. As a result, you get some great emotive bops. The songwriting is good throughout, as we get a solid collection of bops and ballads. I love the grandiosity of tracks like "Master Plan" and the title track. It gives them an epic feel that I really dig. There are a few corny moments, but it rarely sounds out of touch or even bad. And even a song like "Rivers of Mercy" have such an emotional punch, resulting in it being my favorite on the album. As for negatives, I think the production itself is probably the weakest aspect of the album. The mixing is pretty flat and dry. Certain instruments are cluttered into each other on some songs, resulting in the sounds coming out as jumbled messes. And then there are some songs that have really odd tone choices. "End of Night" has one of the best tunes on the album, but that buzzing synth melody is hideous. This project also ends on a very weak note with "Stay," which has some of the most basic and boring writing on the entire album. Even still, I like this album. It's certainly not perfect, but for a band that is certainly not as big as they were in the 80s, as well as it being their first album in almost twenty years, it's pretty decent.
Grade: B-
Best Tracks: The Tipping Point; Break The Man; Rivers of Mercy; Master Plan
Worst Track: Stay
BEST SINGLES OF FEBRUARY:
"The Garden Path" by Kamasi Washington
"Billions" by Caroline Polachek
"Unpeopled Space" by Daniel Rossen
WORST SINGLE OF FEBRUARY:
"Da Goat No Cap" by ZAQQ
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Nilüfer Yanya: PAINLESS
Release Date: March 4
Genre: Indie Rock
I first heard of Nilüfer Yanya last year through the song "stabilise," which was one of my favorite singles of the year. It made me excited to see what else she had to offer. Luckily, on her sophomore album, PAINLESS, she gave us some really damn good music. Nilüfer weaves through the sounds of indie rock and bedroom pop in such a smooth and groovy way on many of these tracks. Her songwriting is compelling, and the way she fuses organic instrumentation with digital sounds is quite cool. What impresses me the most on this project, however, is the guitar and drum work. The riffs are very sticky, eliciting a sharp yet subtle mood on each track. Whether it's the skittering arpeggiated notes on "stabilise," the descending notes on "midnight sun" or the haunting, crystallized strings of "trouble" and "try," the guitars keep me drawn throughout. Plus, the drums give many of these tracks an insatiable groove. The biggest culprit is "the dealer," whose drum pattern is amazing. I also love how the bass guitar only plays during the chorus. It is so satisfying to hear it sync with the guitar and drums perfectly each time it comes in. There are a few songs that are a little underwhelming, particularly the poppier cuts. They aren't bad, but they don't have as much of a punch as other tracks. And while I do like Nilüfer's voice for the most part and how husky it is, on a few songs, I can't help but feel that she's holding back. She's able to bring an emotive range on songs like "midnight sun" and "belong with you," but on others, her singing washes over me. Despite that, I really like PAINLESS. It's not perfect, but it is a really good indie rock album, and I cannot wait to see what she does next. Check it out.
Grade: B+
Best Tracks: the dealer; L/R; stabilise; midnight sun; trouble; try; belong with you
Worst Track: shameless
The Weather Station: How Is It That I Should Look At The Stars
Release Date: March 4
Genre: Singer-Songwriter
How Is It That I Should Look At The Stars is the sequel to The Weather Station's previous album, Ignorance, which was released that year. That album was full of gorgeous orchestration, backed with some of the grooviest production I heard all year. It was a great album, and I still highly recommend it. This album, however, is a lot more somber. The percussion is completely absent this time around, focusing entirely on piano and Tamara's hushed vocals, along with the occasional string swell. The resulting tracks are pretty, but they don't do anything beyond that. Plus, the songwriting is pretty underwhelming throughout. Since this project is entirely piano ballads, there is an absence of urgency, making these songs become instantly forgotten the moment the album ends. It's not that any of these songs are bad, but they are entirely unmemorable. Fans of piano driven music will for sure dig this, but for everyone else, if you want some pretty background music while you're napping, meditating, destressing or doing something relaxing and calming, then this is perfect for that. It's not bad, and it's definitely nice to listen to, but it's pretty forgettable.
Grade: C
Best Tracks: Ignorance; To Talk About
Worst Track: Stars
Ghost: Impera
Release Date: March 11
Genre: Hard Rock / Glam Metal
Ghost is one of those bands that I like and appreciate, but I wouldn't consider myself a fan. I like their albums and love some of their songs, but they've never been one of my favorites. Even still, I appreciate their take on hard rock and metal. It's certainly campy, but they have a great sound, and that over the top campiness does add to the gravitas of their music. With Impera, however, that camp has gone a little overboard. This album goes full on 80s hard rock power-ballad machismo cheese. It does make for some great rock cuts, like the soaring "Kaisarion" and the kick ass "Hunter's Moon." However, as the album goes on, the cheese begins to take over to the point where the band begins to sound like a parody of themselves. You have these over the top corny riffs matched with some ridiculous vocal embellishments that completely take me out of the song. The worst offender is "Twenties," which might be the most ridiculous song the band has ever released, and not in a good way. The riff is pretty cool, but good lord, do the dramatics and the lyrics ruin this song. It's almost comical. As a whole, I appreciate Impera more in concept than I do in practice. I like the theme of the fall of empires that permeates throughout the album. The production is pretty great and there is some nice instrumentation. I just think the band went too over the top on this one, at least for me. Those that are a fan of really cheesy hard rock bands from the 80s will dig this more than me, but for everyone else, I recommend their previous two albums over this one.
Grade: C+
Best Tracks: Kaisarion; Spillways; Call Me Little Sunshine; Hunter's Moon; Watcher In The Sky
Worst Track: Twenties
Rex Orange County: Who Cares?
Release Date: March 11
Genre: Bedroom Pop / Indie Pop
Man... I REALLY wanted to love this album. The singles for this project are straight fire. Seriously. "KEEP IT UP," "OPEN A WINDOW" and "AMAZING" are some of the best songs I've heard this year so far. The groovy beats backs the luscious strings and bedroom pop aesthetic so well, and they are all so sweet on the ears. Alex has a great ear for melodies and hooks, and you can see that ability at play on these three songs. However, after "AMAZING," the biggest problem of Who Cares? appears. For as sweet and as pretty as it is, it is very one note. Most of the songs have a similar feel and vibe to them, to the point where many tracks begin to sound identical. As a result, some of the tracks in the middle get stale very quickly. There are two tracks that break away from the general sound of the album, and they are in such different extremes of quality. "SHOOT ME DOWN" is a dramatic and gorgeous ballad with some of Alex's best and most passionate vocals on the album. "IF YOU WANT IT" sounds like a bad The Weeknd ripoff with a hideous sub bass and an annoyingly repetitive chorus. Luckily, the album ends pretty strong with the title track; a song that perfectly encapsulates the themes of anxiety and depression this project has been focused on. Overall, I do like this album. It's nice. It has some good production, pretty instrumentals and decent writing. I do wish it had more variety to spice things up, as well as to prevent me from feeling like I'm hearing the same song over and over again. But even still, if you're looking for a chill listening session so you can vibe out, then this is a pretty good choice.
Grade: B-
Best Tracks: KEEP IT UP; OPEN A WINDOW; AMAZING; SHOOT ME DOWN; WHO CARES?
Worst Track: IF YOU WANT IT
ROSALÍA: Motomami
Release Date: March 18
Genre: Neoperreo / Art Pop
I went into this project interested but skeptical, as reggaetón is completely out of my wheelhouse. However, I found myself completely surprised. Motomami is a fantastic display of how diverse an artist like her can be. She gives us sick bangers with some wonky, disorienting production like "SAOKO" and "CUUUUuuuuuute," but then you get some stunning, gorgeous ballads like "HENTAI" and "COMO UN G." The pendulum swings very far with this project, and Rosalia handles both extremes very well. It gives us a look at the two sides of Rosalia: the bombastic, wild and fun side, as well as the soft and intimate side. It shows her versatility, as well as her sharp songwriting and her insane production. This project sounds incredible, even with the language barrier. As for critiques, since there is such a drastic difference between intensities on this album, there are times where the overall progression of the album comes off disjointed. It doesn't have amazing flow, and I feel like some way to bridge the gaps would have benefited. There are also a couple of songs that get annoying pretty quickly, namely "CHICKEN TERIYAKI." Even still, Motomami is incredible, and it will certainly be one of the best pop albums of the year.
Grade: A-
Best Tracks: SAOKO; CANDY; LA FAMA; BULERÍAS; HENTAI; G3 N15; DIABLO; DELIRIO DE GRANDEZA; CUUUUuuuuuute; COMO UN G; SAKURA
Worst Track: CHICKEN TERIYAKI
Weezer: SZNZ: Spring
Release Date: March 20
Genre: Pop Rock / Folk Rock
Weezer has returned with their first installment of their SZNZ series, with each project covering each season. This part is for the Spring, which was released on the first day of Spring. It's bright, cheery and sugary sweet, but it's still a Weezer album. Basic chord progressions, weird songwriting, and an overall since of immaturity still plague this band, and those gripes find themselves here. But even with this brighter, more folk oriented production, I find the songs to be corny in a way that I can't bring myself to enjoy. Their last two albums, though certainly full of cheese, had moments of brilliance. With this one, I can barely remember anything that I listened to. It's certainly not the worst thing this band has made, but it is FAR from their best. Maybe Summer will be better for them, who knows?
Grade: C-
Best Tracks: Sound of Drums
Worst Track: Opening Night
Machine Gun Kelly: Mainstream Sellout
Release Date: March 25
Genre: Pop Punk
I've never liked Machine Gun Kelly as a rapper or as the next face of pop punk (gag), so I wasn't really expecting to like this all that much. But I gotta say, this was SO much worse than I was expecting. This is some of the blandest, most formulaic pop punk you could possibly imagine. None of the music has any bite or character, and the production is so boring. MGK's vocals are laughably bad. He almost never sounds on key, and when he is in tune, his vocal tone is beyond grating. Lyrically, this is some of the most try-hard garbage imaginable. How many times can you say "life sucks, I hate myself, I want to die, I want to get high" before I stop taking you seriously? Well, in the case of this album, the very first line on the very first track. The drumming is pretty solid throughout and "maybe" is the most tolerable song on the tracklist for as nondescript and as personality-less as it is, but other than that, there is nothing to like about this album. I will give this album one thing, though. Mainstream Sellout is the perfect name for this project.
Grade: F
Best Tracks: maybe
Worst Track: the one where MGK is angsty and cringe
Nigo: I know NIGO
Release Date: March 25
Genre: Trap
I know Nigo is the debut album from Nigo. On this project, Nigo acts as a producer and a curator, bringing in multiple guests to completely take over his songs. He's like DJ Khaled, but nowhere near as much of a hack. This album features the likes of Tyler, the Creator, A$AP Rocky, Pusha T, Pharrell Williams, Kid Cudi, Gunna, Lil Uzi Vert and more. Now, this thing is special because I don't think a single album from this year so far has varied this widely in quality. Seriously, this thing ranges from borderline unlistenable to some of the best hip hop tracks of the year. So, let me be your guide as to what you should and shouldn't listen to off of I know NIGO. If the song features Tyler, the Creator, absolutely listen to it. If it features Pusha T, make sure the song you listen to features him and him alone. Don't worry about listening to the song with him and Clipse. If it features Pop Smoke, it's worth at least one listen, but I wouldn't come back to it. If it features Pharrell Williams, AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE! Everything else? Only worth listening if you're morbidly curious. Otherwise, I would suggest skipping the rest. And that is my guide on what and what not to listen to off of Nigo's debut album. You're welcome.
Grade: D+
Best Tracks: Lost and Found Freestyle 2019; Hear Me Clearly; Come On, Let's Go
Worst Track: Paper Plates
Dream Widow: Dream Widow
Release Date: March 25
Genre: Thrash Metal
This is an interesting project right here. The debut Dream Widow album was created by Dave Grohl, frontman of the Foo Fighters. It's a metal album that ties into the Foo Fighters feature film, Studio 666. I haven't seen it, but from what I can glean from interviews discussing the movie, it's about the band recording their latest album, Medicine at Midnight, in a haunted recording studio. During the recording process, a demon possesses Dave Grohl, who kills all of his bandmates and then goes solo, resulting in this project. I went into this expecting a cheesy novelty project, and it is that to an extent. However, I can't deny how much fun it is. The performances are very punchy and energetic, and Dave has some really good growls and shrieks. It has its metal clichés both lyrically and musically, but the songs manage to be a lot better written than I initially thought they would be. There were many instances when listening where I would headbang whilst giving some harsh stink face. It has more edge and energy than any Foo Fighters album since 2011, and I greatly appreciate that. If there's anything that kneecaps this album from being great, it's the production. The guitar tones are quite brittle, and everything sounds like it's heavily clipping in the audio. Every instrument sounds so compressed, which is fine, but it makes some of these songs grating after a while. Despite that, Dream Widow was a lot of fun. I can tell that everyone involved had a blast making this thing, and I had a blast listening to it. I don't expect Dave to return to this sound ever, but I am certainly down to check it out if he ever does.
Now, at this point, I need to say my condolences, for on the day of this project's release, long time Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins, passed away. I've been a fan of the band, as well as him, for many years. I grew up with the Foo Fighters, and hearing the news broke my heart. He was an immensely talented drummer, and while I never met him, he seemed like a great man. It's sad to see him go. I pray for his friends, his family and his band as they go through this tough time without him. Rest in peace, Taylor.
Grade: B
Best Tracks: Encino; Cold; March of the Insane; Becoming
Worst Track: Angel With Severed Wings
BEST SINGLES OF MARCH:
"The Dripping Tap" by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
"The Lightning I, II" by Arcade Fire
"HENTAI" by ROSALÍA
WORST SINGLE OF MARCH:
"Crypto" by Takeoff & Rich the Kid
Thank you for reading, and stay tune for the next edition, in which I tackle albums released from April through June. Also, if you're wondering why I didn't talk about Denzel Curry, expect a full review of that project very soon. See you next time!
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