A Fever You Can't Sweat Out: Panic! At The Disco

11/07/20

4:56 PM

Brendon Urie has become somewhat of a pop icon within the industry over the last few years, but looking back on the development of a band now labeled as “pop rock” with its frontman being the entire sum of the once baroque-emo-electro-punk band, it’s been quite a wild journey to observe their progression in the eyes of a fan as well as a critic.

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Rewinding back through Panic! at the Disco’s multi-genre discography and retracting the personal and vocal growth that Urie built up over the years alongside a few band members, (both founding and touring) it’s intriguing to retrace the path that Panic! at the Disco took. The four friends and founding members from two different high schools decided to play in a band and the result was a triple platinum album in A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out. If you were alive in the mid 2000’s, there’s a pretty decent chance that you recognized Panic! within the first three seconds of their career-making single— the sound of the ringing Pizzicato strings from the track titled “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” along with the rest of the discography containing equally perplexing titles, made up an unfamiliar combination of electronic and emo punk that was somewhat controversial to the scene.

The neo emo album is made up of what seemed like an unlikely composition at the time— you have the expected components like guitar, bass, and drums, but where the distinction begins to take place is the inclusion of baroque pianos, drum machines and synths layers on top of a more gothic tone— and in 2005’s emo scene? Are you kidding?! The slick riffs and irregular, yet foundational rhythmic make-up of the album adheres to the traditional standards of the genre while progressing over its preconceived boundaries. The band’s instrumentation and production by Matt Squire paired with a young Brendon Urie’s vocality create the sarcastically bold sound of Panic! at the Disco’s debut album. Looking at the album as a whole, A Fever You Can’t Sweat out resembles a theatric translation of a cabaret show into a dynamic thirteen track album, as if it were arranged to be a dramatic play.

In substance , the overall nature of this album reflects a lot from the literary inspiration and the surrounding aesthetic of the band’s song writers Brendon Urie and Ryan Ross. The stark Vegas burlesque and the satirical outlook on vanity and lust is magnified by their interest in the written works of Chuck Palahniuk (Invisible Monsters, Fight Club, etc.)— a writer who categorizes into transgressive fictionalism- a narrative where characters feel the desire to emancipate from social norms. Every one of the titles in A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out is derivative of Palahniuk’s writing,. “The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage” and “There’s a Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven’t Thought of It Yet” as track titles foreshadow the non-linear type of lyricism that seem to fit… almost too well; a lot of the writing seems obscene, obscure, and irreverent— delving into vain, sexual, and exhaustive details of written accounts that responds well into the album’s overall design. But while the lyrics and songwriting in this album are cohesive and unique, the topical focus in the words revolve around seemingly toxic material; the thematic outline and lyrical constitution might look to be inappropriate and sometimes even discomforting throughout the album behind its musicality. However, although the album is filled with innuendos and questionable jabs toward more serious subjects, the attitude that the writers have doesn’t seem pretentious or ill-natured, but is a probable banter to display their emotional and mental casualties as many of these topics seem to stem from the writers’ personal histories and solidifying them into tangible works of music make Panic!’s songwriting exhibit the external glamour in the acts of life and vilify the crude realities in a hollow ecstasy.

…15 years later and it’s been an entertaining transition to see a band that sang about breaking away from given expectations and straying from mainstream circumstances, make folk music, then alternative indie, then electronic synth pop, then jazz pop, and finally landing on being mainstream and fitting into a popular form of music. “Can't take the kid from the fight, take the fight from the kid” I guess.

Listen to the album below:

A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out

Albums of 2019: A year in review

7/3/20

5:20 AM

I started this particular project about compiling a best of 2019 list a few times and a while ago, but it took me a long time and a couple of road trips to fully listen to and decide on which artists and their albums would make this list. Yes, I do realize I’m a half a year late but I figured better late than never- am I right my fellow procrastinators?!

So without a lengthy foreword or introduction, here are my personal analyses on albums I thought were some of the finer records from the year 2019.

Hollywood’s Bleeding: Post Malone

Starting off the list with one of the more digestible and perhaps the most mainstream album on this list, Post Malone’s third project, Hollywood’s Bleeding is a product of alternative rock and hip-hop coming together to make a record which effectively caters to the majority.

Hollywood’s Bleeding is the first Post album that I’ve listened to in its entirety repeatedly, and I felt like it was a really pleasant place to start in the Dallas native’s discography in a way. Of course, when people mention Post Malone, the blockbuster singles such as "White Iverson” and “Congratulations” are instant reminders of Post’s success within the last few years, but Post Malone is really cooking with fire on this project.

Paired with some respectable levels in production, the whole concept of making an Emo rap project with a whole lot of alternative rock influence seems pretty keen to the times— aiming not only to his current audiences, but additionally to fans to both aforementioned genres as well. The lyricism of the record reflects the 24-year-old rapper’s nature as an emotive, yet goofy character and the vocal elements in his songs are well put together. Few years into his rise to stardom, Post Malone is really using fame and success to his advantage, which in turn may be a slight irony for the album’s title: Hollywood’s Bleeding.

Listen to Hollywood’s Bleeding

Cuz I Love You: Lizzo

This album is big— big personality, big attitude, big vocals, and just one big blast in summary.

What a year for Lizzo, as 2019 proved to be a huge breakout period in the singer/ flutist’s career and landed her a great deal of fame and recognition as a musician. Cuz I Love You is such a fun and liberating album where Lizzo breaks out all the big guns— “A pop album with a message?” Yeah, this is it.

Putting her personal physical, emotional, and sexual experiences and attributes into a grand, lively, and charming album isn’t always easy, but the sheer boldness of the boisterous artist makes it work (and fairly well!). With the growing lack of expectation from the pop genre, Lizzo’s take on it is pretty refreshing and cheerful, turning some not great aspects of social components and disdains into things we can laugh about.

Cuz I Love You isn’t simply a fun album with nothing else, but it’s also musically sound. Lizzo’s huge vocal capacity and her background and education in classical music is a couple more layers to be added on to the album. The culmination of everything Melissa Jefferson—also known as Lizzo, is showcased in all of its glory in her third album: Cuz I Love You

Listen to Cuz I Love You

GINGER: BROCKHAMPTON

BROCKHAMPTON’s 5th studio album is met with a great deal of mixed reviews, GINGER is probably the most emotive album that the eccentric new age boy band has released in their discography, becoming a work that seems to stand out from their other projects.

GINGER comes through in an easy, yet captivating tone that blurs the lines between genres and portrays a lot of the band’s old distinct sound while incorporating new faces of its members and characteristics. The more emotive nature of the album is blatant, but not overbearing; in a manner that was described as “making music about anxiety and depression that people could dance to” by Kevin Abstract.

As expected from a collective with more than ten individuals, GINGER continues to deliver a number of different flavors unique to BROCKHAMPTON— from whimsical dance tracks to solemn ballads, hopping back and forth the two moods doesn’t seem to be a problem throughout the album, or even within tracks for that matter. Perhaps the most complete BROCKHAMPTON Album in a sense, with more than just funky production and alternating vocals, GINGER is a collection of perspectives from a few young minds expressing what they’re going through in today’s world.

Listen to GINGER

Good At Falling: The Japanese House / Heard It In A Past Life: Maggie Rogers

These two albums kind of share a place together on this list, I usually am not one to compare albums’ similarities as much rather than to evaluate the individual aspects… but these two are really similar, and I thought it’d be unfair to leave one out over the other.

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Amber Bain, who is the mastermind behind The Japanese house showcases her talent in all of her production and writing. The debut album for the artist is somewhat akin to an irony due to the cacophony between the driving elements of the melodic instrumentation derived from thumping basslines over synths and waves, while drenched in sobering vocals and cognitive lyrics. The conflict between these two elements doesn’t take away from the work in any way, but rather creates a unique narrative that can be traced back to individualism within the modern youth.

Good At Falling, is at its core, a very modern indie pop album with a lot to show for. Moody, yet punchy in a way that makes the project interesting enough to keep listening the entire time. The instrumentation and lyricism of this album come together to shine an artistic element to each track, while maintaining a semi-lively atmosphere throughout, Good At Falling captures a scope somewhere between dreams and reality, finding the delicate balance in the two.

Let’s list the similarities: Both albums represent indie pop in its current standards extremely well, they’re both inclusive of the usage in both electronic and organic parts, they’re both debut albums to very promising young artists and were met with much positive review.

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And yet there are still quite a few differences to list. Maggie Roger’s Heard It In A Past Life is generally inclined to a brighter and a more positive overtone. Comparatively, Roger’s vocals are more radiant than not, while both albums are incredibly melodic in their own ways, Heard It In A Past Life is inherently much more upbeat and outgoing when compared to Good At Falling— maybe portraying a slight disparity within American and British indie pop.

As Maggie was discovered by an industry colossus known as Pharrell, some doubts regarding artistry and finesse has been voiced towards her music; and while some may argue that the album could be deemed as being overproduced or muddied by too much, the argument for overproduction is actually quite valid in today’s music scene as the pop genre itself sees much of its popularity to the growing appreciation on electronic and trap influences. Maggie Roger’s first body of work shows room for improvement in future projects while providing a decent headway for the genre; one in which the potentiality for pop music and its boundaries are continually enabled to be pushed and imagined.

Listen to Good At Falling

Listen to Heard It In A Past Life

Bandana: Freddie Gibbs & Madlib

Put two of underground hip-hop’s best within one album, mix their talents and what you end up with is Bandana.

Every single track produced by legendary DJ/ Producer Madlib, combined with one of the realest lyricists in hip-hop, Freddie Gibbs, and you know something’s bound to blow. Violent imagery, real life predicaments, social philosophies, and years of progress in rap are delivered by Gibbs’ dark and deep voice; his proficiency for rapping and wordplay disproves any doubt that the man isn’t hard. On the other hand, Madlib’s utilization of samples and a sense of nostalgia stemming from old school type beats is unparalleled, creating an infinite playground of hip-hop greatness.

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Honestly, I wanted to write more about this album… but it’s really hard, bars are hard, beats are hard…

They just don’t make ‘em like this anymore…

Easily one of the best gangster rap albums out there, just go listen to it.

Listen to Bandana

Jaime: Brittany Howard

Brittany Howard’s solo debut, Jaime, is titled after her sister, who passed when they were both youths, Howard put aside her other prominent projects such as Alabama Shakes and Thunderbitch to pursue this solo album.

Having been able to focus solely on her work as the creative director of her music, Jaime draws from many forms of historically African-American rooted genres of music and bases those influences into a rock-driven album. Howard is fluid and strong in this album— saying what she wants to, regardless of the message, racism and sexualism are open range and Brittany doesn’t hesitate to lie in the green pastures.

The album seems to revolve around reminiscence; experiences of love and hate in many of their forms— past relations, family, prejudice, and inability to fit in are just few themes in Howard’s narrative. The lyrics are firmly sung over an experiment in which rock, jazz, funk, blues, and other genres come together to make for an easy and lasting harmony in the ears of the listener. Brittany Howard’s vocals are deliberate, yet gentle, which are adjectives that can be used to detail the entire record as well, the warmness of this album wraps around the attitude in the story of this woman’s life.

Listen to Jaime

i,i: Bon Iver

The sage of harmonies, the mad genius, the celestial bard, Bon Iver’s 2019 release of his fourth studio album i,i was magical as it was mysterious and I’m still not understanding everything that’s going on in this record.

Having said that, I can appreciate a lot about this album still. i,i came a long way from Vernon’s first record, and while his discography seemed to push his ensuing albums further and further away from the confines of the norm, the latest project took a step backward towards a more serene and orderly approach. This seemingly backwards step toward inflection doesn’t mean that Bon Iver isn’t being innovative as ever; his music still brings a lot of theoretical and physical advances in an unheard fashion.

In a sense, i,i may quite possibly be the most complete and mature of Justin Vernon’s works. The reclusive nature hidden in cryptic lyrics and vocals are surrounded by a subtle grandiosity; as opposed to the chaotic tone heard in 22, A Million, this album is more tranquil and peaceful. In the midst of all the secrecy, there is a sense of calm that can be found. The usage of modulated instruments and vocals, and the overall aesthetic of the record can be seen as lifeless or full of joy, and in that perspective, the album is increasingly possessive of replay value and packs much detail.

And even after all this analysis, I still really have no idea what a lot of this album means, typical Bon Iver music.

Listen to i,i

KIRK: DaBaby

Jonathan Lyndale Kirk quickly became the biggest breakout artist of 2019—starting the year with Baby on Baby, then dropping KIRK after six months’ time, it’s not often that we see back to back albums blow up like DaBaby’s did, but here we are in 2020, and Mr. Kirk is one of the hottest rappers in the game.

Unlike your traditional pop-rapper from back in the day, DaBaby is adept at putting in some proficiency in his ability to flow. Maintaining high levels of energy in his tracks while delivering solid lyricism, and his sense of rhythm is pretty impressive too. Most of the tracks on KIRK are viable to be club bangers, and yet Dababy’s smooth and commanding timbre along his southern drawl clashes with his quick and animated flow to make for a stimulating listening experience. Although the record itself disguises as a mainstream money grab before closer inspection, it has an actual depth to it and is accompanied by some interesting sounds as well as features—it’s a whole lot of bops.

DaBaby not only places himself as a pop star with this record, but also proves to be quite the rapper as well; in many cases of breakout artists, especially of the hip-hop genre, a growing number of individuals decline in their work just as swiftly as they ride the comeuppance, as for the Charlotte native, he has continued to build his portfolio as a reputable MC irregardless. Keeping up with DaBaby’s journey thus far and seeing the artist formerly known as Baby Jesus find success with his take on Southern rap, signing with big time labels, and becoming a household name in rap in the year 2019 seems unlikely of a tale, is but a glimpse into the life and the narrative of the man himself, as told on KIRK.

Listen to KIRK

Fever: Megan Thee Stallion

There have been a lot of female rappers in the game within the last few decades, and while the exploitation of sex, drugs, and money have been more than common by women in the hip-hop scene, Megan Thee Stallion’s debut mixtape Fever is purely all of those things; in a way that isn’t pretentious or obnoxious, but rather confident and engaging.

Fever is 14 tracks long at 40 minutes, charged with sexuality and I quote, “Hood rat shit.” In all seriousness though, Megan’s ability to rap is no joke— she’s fierce, vicious, and so, so bold. We’ve all been hit with those come-and-go artists who utilize their sex as the main attraction to their music, and it’s overplayed, I know. Fever is legitimately so much of that deliverance…that it just makes the sale. If somebody has accepted the fact that the character they are playing is fully immersive and embraces the obvious, the audience can’t help but to be drawn to such fidelity, which is exactly what happens as Megan Thee Stallion drops ratchet bars and provocative content.

Perhaps the glue that holds all of these explicit and even raunchy material is the young rapper’s ability to spit. Megan Thee Stallion holds up to any of her peers regardless of gender and even surpasses them when it comes to technically being able to deliver verse after verse. Fever is in its core feels like years and years of rap history bearing fruit—drawing from her predecessors in Houston as well as feminine voices in the rap game— giving Megan a whole lot of power in an industry dominated by male voice by challenging that authority with status, sex, and rap greatness. A sensory overload for sure, but in a ridiculously appropriate context.

Real hot girl shit.

Listen to Fever

Grey Area: Little Simz

Representing the spaces between the blacks and whites in her life in the early 20’s, Little Simz’ Grey Area is an organic depiction of the questions and answers of a young woman figuring out things in her life.

The British MC’s third and most mature work to date, Grey Area is thorough, yet hollow, in a sense where the aesthetic of the album takes a few steps back from the current meta of music. Little Simz commented that the entirety of the album was recorded entirely without any samples and that may seem like a rare occurrence in today’s hip-hop; the composition of the album looks to be a combination of instruments and vocals, leading to a rudimentary, but slightly intoxicating sound where the listener can focus on the individual instruments and the voice of the now 26 year-old rapper.

Grey Area shows a… grey area in the life of Simbi Ajikawo. The album features no two alike songs, and most likely on purpose— the project was born out of the “if” and “what" of the English rapper’s step into adulthood, reflecting the confusion and the hypotheticals in the journey to growth.

Possibly one of the best hip-hop albums of 2019, and while British Grime albums such as slowthai’s Nothing Great About Britain and Psychodrama by Dave are very recognizable works (and I would recommend those as well), I personally thought Little Simz’ augmentation in her storytelling and rapping prowess earns her a spot among the top for the last year. Grey Area is bold— it’s lethal, concise, and striking, reminiscent of old school greats like Nas or Jay-Z. A surprising rise to greatness and definitely an underrated body of work, Little Simz’ Grey Area contains an air of relativity for artists and young adults living in today’s uncertainties.

Listen to Grey Area

This Is How You Smile: Helado Negro

Roberto Carlos Lange’s telltale perspective into his heritage, and his youth, This Is How You Smile is an ode to a culture, and its stories often overlooked.

The 6th album under the moniker Helado Negro and perhaps his most recognized record gets its title from a short story named Girl, along the lines “ this is how you smile to someone you don’t like too much; this is how you smile to someone you don’t like at all”, providing insight into the livelihood under immigrant parents and the joys and hardships that come with.

This Is How You Smile combines the stylings of Latin Folk with the usage of pianos, synths, and a number of tropical instrumentations to achieve a unique path of sound that carries a certain disposition towards a more island-based tone. Helado Negro’s album is lofty at its nature— seeming sacral at times through its duration, yet also contains more eerie and faint attitudes simultaneously. At 40 minutes of playtime, the gradual descent into a moodier and stagnant inflection creates a contrast through the dynamics of the album, This Is How You Smile is by no means exciting or dramatic, but the comparison between the first half of the album and the latter provides the listener with substantial change throughout the record.

While Helado Negro’s This Is How You Smile is not flashy or exhilarating, its unlikeness beckons an intrigue that swells to fascination.

Listen to This Is How You Smile

thank u, next: Arianna Grande

From Nickelodeon actress to revealing some of her most intimate moments and her vulnerabilities, Arianna Grande is an artist who’s had more growth than most, both personally and musically.

Her earlier works, while holding a great deal of potential, felt a little juvenile and underdeveloped at times; the topical themes of her music and the sometimes-crude vocal demonstrations left a lot of room for improvements. thank u, next seems to show the evolution of Arianna in a way that gives her a clear-cut distinction from just a modern day Mariah Carey imitation— Her music is darker, more personal, and is seeping with callousness whilst being incredibly emotive. While my primary response to this album was impersonal at best, with more listens over time, Arianna Grande’s fifth studio album definitely registers as her best yet; high production values, significant improvements in pronunciation and vocality, and stability in genre as she taps into a trap based R&B realm feels appropriate for the mood of the entire album.

The attitude that the singer-actress takes in thank u, next takes is cavalier, yet delicate. Speaking out about her past experiences then finding a confidant in herself and bracing in herself, in her own egotistic mannerisms, Arianna abides in her maturity and growth over the year as she looks to the next page in her life.

Listen to thank u, next

Kiwanuka: Michael Kiwanuka

English musician Michael Kiwanuka has had one of the quieter presences while maintaining a prolific status as a musician in the industry; the album Kiwanuka highlights the years of the artist’s growth and hardships into one body of work all the while paying respects to his inspirations. Evocative of the past and now, Michael Kiwanuka takes various pieces from 1960’s to present forms of music and creates a contemporary ballad to hear and feel.

Working with esteemed producers like Danger Mouse and Inflo, Kiwanuka tampers with the balance of both seemingly dated sounds and current elements of music. The drowned-out vocals and guitars, the quiet lone piano, the rhythmic and steady drums definitely add to the portrayal of passing years, Michael Kiwanuka also takes a plethora of thematic songwriting components and presents a timelessness in his musical poetry.

In what could be noted to be the height of Michael Kiwanuka’s career, the third studio album pretends to be an easy listen at first, but promptly dives into a heavy and despondent cry for mercy and helplessness fills the entirety of the album’s aesthetic. Sounding as if the music was recorded in an empty concert hall, the audible loneliness is perhaps accurately echoing the possible state of his mental.

Listen to Kiwanuka

Norman Fucking Rockwell!: Lana Del Rey

I barely found LDR like, last year. I know.

Having said that, I feel like it was actually somewhat helpful and interesting in hindsight that I was so late in finding all of Lana’s work so late— seeing all the artists that she’s influenced and the gradual evolution in her early works to Norman Fucking Rockwell! made for an expedited listening experience which enabled me to compare and evaluate her discography in a non-temporal manner.

Norman Fucking Rockwell! is Lana’s best work.

A bold statement, however, in the 7 year span between Born to Die to NFR!, the American singer-songwriter Elizabeth Woolridge Grant really honed the edges of her blades and the elements in her music that was known as her best traits have become even more sharpened in her latest project. The dramatic wordplay, the grand nature of her thematic focus, and the cinematic sounds of her sounds are all arguably the most refined they have been in a Lana Del Rey album. The album is still filled with the good old LDR familiarities— the vain and cynical style of lyricism and the somewhat-helplessness of being a woman in love still persists. This idea was critically centralized upon, hence making for what reads to be Lana’s finest songwriting to date.

Noteworthy as all of the improvements and merits are, the argument against Lana Del Rey’s music still stands. While storytelling and emotional evocation is an obvious strength in Lana’s works, many critics claim that her music is rather drab or pitiable at worst. It probably is to be fair, but honestly by this point that should be an apparent part of her music, and even past such conjectures NFR! does have a decent range of dynamics in the album so…

In saying all of this, Norman Fucking Rockwell! is a beautifully ironic album that possibly contends for the title of the year’s best album.

Listen to Norman Fucking Rockwell

Charli: Charli XCX

Pop music may not be as mainstream as it once was, and a plausible explanation behind the digression of the once dominant genre is probably explained best by the rise of the sub-genres and delineations of specific forms of music.

With the elevated incorporation of technology in music, it was inevitable that more electronic ingredients would be supplemented into all types of music. In Charli, pop music was remodeled and transmuted into something categorized as hyper pop— containing heavy EDM and electronic influences, and increasing tempo, focusing less on individual melodies and overloading all of them at once.

The realm of hyper pop and electro pop, being infantile in the comprehensive view of music as a whole, is shaped by the trajectories of a collective of artists, and Charli XCX is a tremendous contribution in part. Charli takes preformed views of music and clashes an abundance of sounds to forge a unique product. While the outcomes may feel a little crude or unfamiliar, the process is one to respect. The balance between songwriting and production is undeniably commendable, and the evolution of Charli XCX’s works are absurdly energetic. All of Charli’s output is invitingly paired with a diverse array of features, making Charli’s Charli a Next Level Charli project.

Listen to Charli

All My Heroes Are Cornballs

And pop music is obviously not the only genre being put through the experimental stages, and JPEGMAFIA is one of the most successful experimental rappers at the moment. All My Heroes Are Cornballs is filled with avant-garde approaches that combines a riot of sounds and creates an amicable wall of sound, and the most impressive part of it all might be how seemingly contained the entire album is.

JPEGMAFIA is one interesting dude, the irony of his music is unmistakable, with the project seeping with memes and internet slang, one would probably wonder how an individual puts an album like this together. Which is a really valid question because within the whole mess under this album, there is so much minute detail embedded in All My Heroes Are Cornballs. Sampled and recorded vocals, the underlying synths, abrupt eruptions of adlibs and inserts, the musically sound progressions of chords and harmonies, and the adhesion of all the aforementioned pieces come together in a nearly accidental degree; which is really the genius behind this album. it’s crazy.

All My Heroes Are Cornballs is largely comprised of hip-hop, R&B, pop, punk, and a bunch of other things in between. The intricate balance of the genres and the individual production qualities make listening particularly animated and almost requires a meditative level of active listening if the listener really wants to observe the immensity of the intricate design in which JPEGMAFIA’s very own Frankenstein’s monster is brought to life. Filled with moments that come across as unsolicited shouting to declining into lyrics that might warrant social contemplation, all of this is just a game of musical hopscotch without any boxes.

Listen to All My Heroes Are Cornballs

1000 gecs: 100 gecs

The musical equivalent to the film The Room or Sharknado?

At this point I’ve listened to 1000 gecs about 4 or 5 times, and I still can’t tell if it’s good or bad.

It may be so bad that it’s good? or the vice versa?

No album has made me reflect about my existence more than this album.

This is the evolution of music boiiis.

But in all honesty, it’s actually a really fun listen, past all the third-rate humor and bursts of vulgarity, there’s an air of straightforwardness and solidarity(?) throughout the album. I really can’t explain this album without having you listen to it first, lol message me or something afterwards, we can all contemplate this album together.

Listen to 1000 gecs

Other Albums that are either some of my personal favorites or ones that I’ve already written about:

ZUU: Denzel Curry- South Florida’s own lyrical heavyweight, Denzel Curry probably has one of the most slept on rap recognition and one of the most slept on albums of 2019.

Listen to ZUU

Hot Pink: Doja Cat

This album makes this list purely because of the viral rise of Doja Cat. Thanks Tik Tok.

Listen to Hot Pink

The Lost Boy: YBN Cordae

YBN Cordae maybe a rookie in the game, but his lyrics and style are definitely a cut above the rest. The Lost Boy is simple— a balance between adhering to the old school swagger with a touch of modern vigor and spirit.

Listen to The Lost Boy

When I Get Home: Solange

How is this family this gifted musically? Solange and Beyoncé obviously have different styles when it comes to music, but the younger sister isn’t running behind in any manner.

Listen to When I Get Home

Fine Line: Harry Styles

Yes, yes, a Harry Styles album. It’s actually probably one of the better pop albums of the year and also has some really solid moments throughout the album.

Listen to Fine Line

LEGACY! LEGACY!: Jamila Woods

Probably my personal favorite album from 2019. Jamila’s vocals prowess and the artistry that goes into this album is immaculate.

Link to my post about LEGACY! LEGACY!

IGOR: Tyler, The Creator

Tyler’s latest and possibly the most polarizing album, it’s still technically and thematically sound. There were fan-made posters and street art of this album everywhere in Europe around the time of its release, such a loyal fanbase.

Link to my post about IGOR

When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?: Billie Eilish

Billie is a surprisingly good writer, and the production by FINNEAS is above passing. An immense follow-up to Billie’s early rise to stardom, the debut album is deeper and better than most had imagined it would be.

Link to my post about When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?

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If you made it this far and took the time to read all my thoughts and opinions, I want to say thank you.

It’s been pretty hard to stay motivated and dedicated sometimes, but it has been really fun (and really hard) listening to and writing about all these wonderful projects and I hope you do too, I will be back soon with more content in the near future. See you soon.

Thank you,

Always.

Erik K.

Bathing Beach: Novo Amor

6/4/19

7:25 PM

I found Novo Amor by chance while I was travelling in Minnesota.

Reminiscent to be a parallel of Bon Iver’s emotive vocal tones alongside Iron and Wine or Sufjan Stevens’ instrumentation style, Novo Amor draws the listener into the music by crying out to the wilderness and into his past life.

Composed by Welsh musician Ali Lacey— known by his alias, Novo Amor— and his acoustic guitar, among other folk and traditional instruments, Bathing Beach is… quiet. Quiet as the singer wails nostalgia— of the cycle that never ends, the hurt and the embrace of love spoken so quietly, reaching deep. Each song in the four tracks of Bathing Beach represents and builds upon a different face of this unknown life that the author incessantly revisits, created by a haunting thought of a possibility.

The airy and ghosted voice of Novo Amor seems so faint, yet is striking from the first listen. In a way that is difficult to explain in writing, one is aware of the emotions seeping out in their naturality. Within utilizing simple musicality such as dynamics, tonality, and pauses or rests, Lacey demonstrates that indeed sometimes less is greatly more. The simplistic accompaniment gives this short body of work not only cohesion, but something akin to a deconstruction of the author’s perspectives and insights of his past lover and the memories tied to her. All four of the songs are written beautifully and cryptic, establishing an ownership to his personal recollections while the common theme of love and heartaches is empathized upon; behind the tranquilizing sounds of the serene music lies a hurt that Lacey cannot return to or escape from.

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Novo Amor has since released new works such as Heiress and Birthplace, with songs such as “Freehand,” “Anniversary,” and “Repeat Until Death.”

In finding Novo Amor, I’m glad I went to Minnesota.

Listen to the album below:

Bathing Beach

WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?: Billie Eilish

4/11/19 

7:19 PM

This whole album seems like a really intense joke told in a cheerful manner. 

Dark, deep, and dreamy— Billie Eilish’s. album, WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? catches the unsuspecting listener in a fun and/or a creepy way. The 17-year-old’s debut album after her success in multiple careers as multiple personas in music, modeling, and pop personality is explained through something that resembles sleeping and the reactions that we experience as we sleep, lucid dreams, night terrors, sweet dreams, nightmares, they’re all just little pieces to a whole which reflects in the album as individual songs.  

WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? is a weird culmination of today’s musical elements coming together to create something…. alien??? The mixture between pop progressions with trap drums and EDM-ish components, many of the tracks come strangely familiar while still being fresh in terms of genre configurations. The album comprises of dark and gloomy productions beneath Eilish’s innocent and calming vocals, creating an unlikely cacophony that somehow manages to work out anyway. The writing in her songs is actually quite nice too; albeit some content seems a little too tense for someone so young to have written about. Top that off with some really subtle ASMR level details in the tracks and you have 2019’s top notch production quality. Nevertheless, the cryptic atmosphere of her music and her lyrics add to her character and sound, and while the album starts off more defiant and galvanic, it does end up being more somber and yearning towards the end to bring the collection to a nice quiet finish, which is a really nice note to end on. 

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A good amount of discussions have popped up over the young artist’s start and continuing career, rumours of her connections within the industry being the reason for her stardom turns her off for many people. While it’s interesting to look at, who cares? It’s her actual talent may be questionable at this point of time and such, but the product is quite nice still, and the care that she displays for music and her work in general is notable. Billie herself quotes, “If you put 14 people who like different genres into a room and plop WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? in front of them, I want every single person in that room to like at least one song.”  

Thanks Billie, I liked a few songs. 

Listen to album below:

WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

Being So Normal: Peach Pit

2/7/19

3:11 PM

Shoutout to my good friend J. Lewis for putting me on to this album, heh.

Every so often I change my paradigms for musical preferences, and it seems like I’m in the  indie/alt/rock mood this season. Having stated such, I feel like Peach Pit’s Being So Normal  has definitely contributed a good amount to that.

This album reminded me a lot of some older indie rock from some years back while utilizing the musical advancements made throughout the years to maintain contemporary qualities in their sound. The calming voice of Neil Smith is accompanied by conventional drum beats and bass lines that the band builds on, but the real fun starts with the not-completely-somber electric guitar tones. Peach Pit was unique for me in the sense that I usually find vocalists to be one of the most drawing pieces of a band, but the sound of the lead guitar rings real goooood and I felt that it was the main attraction for the listeners, and they capitalize on that very cleverly, emphasizing the riffs, licks, and solos with volume and accent.

The album itself and the band’s sound feels paradoxically deconstructed— while you can pick apart each instrument and focus on one part, the whole band feels orchestrated into a compound mixture to create an atmosphere of cacophonous harmony. The track listing to the band’s first LP  starts out in a more moving pace, and slows down a little after the halfway mark and finishes on some nice slow jams, which was really nice and traditional; as the album plays on, I felt like I was in a 90’s dance party that you see on TV.

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The lyrics feel like those teenage struggles, the guitar solos  inspire some really really light head banging, and Neil’s voice is nice and easy to sing along to, making this album feel like a classic that you can coast up the highway to.

It’s nice.

Listen to the album below:

Being So Normal

Prospekt's March: Coldplay

1/22/19

3:56 PM

Really never thought that I’d write a post about Coldplay, but here’s a lesser work from them that a good number of people don’t know about, probably.

Prospekt’s March is an EP that comes a few months after Coldplay’s fourth studio album— Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. In what seems to be a continuation and an elaboration of the album apropos of life, war, and the aftermath of the two, Prospekt’s March includes songs that sound familiar from previous records as well as songs yet unheard; From the cover artwork to the full and exciting orchestral sound that the EP produces, many similarities can be found and related back to Viva la Vida, and to no one’s surprise, as the artists have stated that any one of the songs in Prospekt’s March could have been included in the studio album. However, the interesting aspect of this EP is that even the songs that come from Viva la Vida are tempered with a little bit to be fresh to the listener.

Akin to its studio album correlative, Prospekt’s March deals closely with the themes of life and death. Written and inspired during a time of war in the world, many of the songs jump thematically between life to death, back to life, into the idea of heaven and eternity. Prospekt’s March and Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends both are a celebration of life, as well as a reminder that death is around us always. The transition from each track is noticeably distinct as to characterize the tempestuous nature of the human life. The usage of subtle symbolism and metaphors made this EP really intriguing to research, finding more meaning in the writing and understanding words and symbols were probably what made this record worth the while to listen to/ write about for me personally.

One of the most interesting aspects of this album is the line “Now my feet won’t touch the ground.” Like most of the album, context is so very important to decipher the meaning behind these words, the fluidity of this line is seen throughout the work and can be taken interchangeably— from the author having been liberated from gravity and heading upward towards heaven, to the mystery of having control over one’s footsteps taken away, and even to the idea of death and not belonging to the earth. All of these thoughts and questions add to the enigma of life to which the listener is left to question, “What is life and where am I going?”

After traveling the world, seeing so much, and becoming observers, Coldplay answers our question. In form of song, where we are all asking ripples in the water for answers and guidance, they answer—

“Son, don’t ask

Neither half full nor empty

Is your glass

Cling to the mast

Spend your whole life living

In the past

Going nowhere fast”

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“And what are we drinking when we’re done?

Glasses of water”

Listen to the album below:

Prospekt’s March

A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships: The 1975

12/5/18

10:43 PM

“You learn a couple things when you get to my age”

It’s true, at age 29, Matt Healy and his electropop band The 1975 has since evolved from their earlier works. A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships takes the indie pop formula that they’ve been running with since their self-titled debut album and matures it into a smooth and easy listen that still carries the lyrical delivery as well as their synth and rock based sound.

The internet-themed album bounces between energetic and upbeat digital rhythms to deep and ardent heartaches into the past life of lead vocalist and lyricist Matt Healy. From “TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME”— the cheerful track about infidelity and inability to be faithful— to more composed and serene ballads like “Be My Mistake” that tells of relationships that Matt struggles to forget and attempts to neglect with fleeting satisfactions, The 1975 has mastered the art of duality within the human emotion and evokes empathy from far ends of its spectrum, as well as everything in between. Not only does the band have carefree and pleasant tunes contrasted with desolate and  melancholy songs, they also have tracks that are neither of those polar feelings, displaying a balance of both bliss and depression. The lyrical play from Matt Healy still goes back to drugs and girls quite often, but is polished enough to retain content and weight; all the while relating these ideas back to online interactions. As Healy playfully scribbles on his songs with contradictions and almost meme-like lines, he still shows his talent for writing with subtle references and revelations of personal angles in his writing; strengthening the dearness of his songs to a intimate, yet widely relatable direction.

“I”ve been watching you walk

I’ve been learning the way that you talk

The back of your head is at the front of my mind

Soon I’ll crack it open just to see what’s inside your mind” 

Looking from where they have come from in terms of technicality, a prodigious leap has been made in their sound. Matt Healy’s shaky and raw vocals have been refined to a more clear and charming tone. The band’s established driving, young, and rhythmic qualities have been sophisticated into a more relaxing and engaging atmosphere by tapping into jazz instrumentation and influences while maintaining the core values of their sound. Overall, achieving a more complete level of music elevates this album to a new height, where the band continues to mature and grow. The compound of acoustic instruments with digital complements draw out a new vibe that The 1975 is known for, yet also is still refreshing because it’s done just a little bit more elegantly with each subsequent album and with a little more detail to the incomplete and broken life of its author.

Listen to the album below:

A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships

For Emma, Forever Ago: Bon Iver

11/29/18

4:57 PM

An artist that everyone knows, but also an artist whose songs haven’t been heard.

Justin Vernon— also known by his moniker Bon Iver, and his one single that everybody knows by having heard sung by every other cover artist (“Skinny Love”)— has a story to tell in his debut album, and rightfully so.

Personally I thought that this album was pretty good in terms of an artist’s first project, but the album itself adds another element of dimensional aspect and weight once you come to the backstory of its creation.

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Vernon began his musical career in Raleigh, North Carolina in several bands that ultimately didn’t work out; he found some love interests here and there, which also didn’t work out, he then had some complications with his health that contributed to some of the aforementioned breakups and worsening of his situation. Relationships and his self motivation failing, as well as  the sense of complacency led Vernon to lose his money on gambling.

From his early 20’s into quarter-life, Vernon had felt a deep regret and alienation from the last few years of his self loathing life and decided to leave Raleigh and return home to Eau Claire, Wisconsin overnight— leaving behind relationships and broken dreams in hopes to find amendment. Upon returning home, he then felt a sense of emptiness, which led to him to drive up to his father’s old hunting cabin for what seemed to be arcadian in his seeking of separation and silence.

It was here that Bon Iver developed his songwriting and music making to create For Emma, Forever Ago, picking up past projects that he’d left behind due to depression. Bon Iver began writing his songs in a setting that allowed for him to be left in loneliness and longing. For months, he would veer in and out of sanity. Upon finishing his process, he left the cabin to record, he explained that he wanted to emulate the sound that rang within the confines of isolation, in the dead of winter, replicating that conscious feeling of isolation, pain, and lost into his studio work.

It’s easy to sense the almost-lunacy found in the album, “For Emma” plays with the lyrical perspectives shared among two people who seem to be lovers (or were to be) as they lead into a near one sided conversation. And complex lyrics and melodies can be found all throughout the album, hinting at Bon Iver’s reluctant ideas of “I don’t know where I’m going” themes. But as the artist himself later claims that For Emma, Forever Ago was a victory for his mental health, Understanding is hard, but in hopes to one day find it, is where we’re headed.

“I toured the light; so many foreign roads for Emma, forever ago.”

Listen to the album below:

For Emma, Forever Ago

Goodnight, Witness Light: Daphne Loves Derby

10/24/18

7:55 PM

I’ve been wondering what I should write about to begin this blog, I thought about a lot of options and as of yesterday, I felt that it was really clear what my first official music post should be about.

Daphne Loves Derby.

My inspiration for music and a band that I found that really pulled me into music. I discovered Daphne Loves Derby sometime in middle school, a couple of guys at my church had learned to play a song by them on guitar (Simple, Starving To Be Safe) and I thought to myself, “that’s a nice sound…” From there on, I searched their music across the vast different music platforms available in late 2000’s- Youtube, Myspace, Napster, Purevolume, Bandcamp, Limewire, etc.

A whole decade later, and they’re still my favorite band, although they don’t make music together anymore. The sentimental sound that they still carry, the ultra lethargic/ nostalgic writing in their lyrics, and the weight that their music carried in my life is something that made become inspired to be a musician/ music enthusiast today.

What brought on this post, was the fact that about a month ago, I randomly ended up on Jason Call’s (Daphne’s former bassist and vocalist) website . I also found that Jason was selling some digital copies of some older demos and LPs of Daphne Loves Derby along with his music as well. Naturally I bought it. The cool part of this whole experience was that Jason personally emailed me and apologized that he didn’t realized that I purchased the music and told me he’d be shipping the CD promptly. We also had a conversation via email about how the band members were and what my favorite tracks are and such, which was a really cool experience for me.

Fast forward to last night and I received the CD, and to my surprise, a hard copy of Good Night, Witness Light was also in the package as well.

I was pretty happy.

10/10 would recommend.

Alternative/ Indie/ Emo rock with expressive lyrics, simple yet mellow and cozy acoustic, and songs about heartbreak to growing up. If any of those elements draw you in, Daphne Loves Derby is a must listen.

Listen to the album below:

Goodnight, Witness Light