Vince Staples - Ramona Park Broke My Heart
Vince Staples has yet to miss with any of his projects over almost a decade of music and different sounds, so it’s not surprising at all that Ramona Park Broke My Heart is another fantastic album! His songwriting here is on another level of depth and detail than he’s ever done before. He’s always disguised the tales of growing up in gang life behind these accessible beats and melodies, but here, they are even sometimes hidden within the lyrics themselves. For example, the song “When Sparks Fly” is both about a relationship with a woman and his relationship with his gun. It’s a really amazing and hauntingly beautiful track that really unveils once you pick up the double meaning. It’s then followed up with “East Atlanta Prayer” with Lil Baby, who sounded better on this downtrodden and personal track then he did the two solo tracks he dropped the same day. The production here is melancholic and bouncy, but still very clearly west coast and something that sounds great in the car. The project is also Vince’s longest project since 2015, but even then, it’s still a tight 41 minutes that feels free of filler. I’ve yet to figure out where this project rests in his discography, but Ramona Park Broke My Heart is another great hip hop album from someone people don’t talk about enough as one of the best in the game.
Jack White - Fear of the Dawn
Fear of the Dawn is only one of two albums that will be released by Jack this year, the other coming in late July. Even though there’s still another one coming, I doubt that it will top this album for me. Fear of the Dawn feels like all the craziness Jack had on his 2018 opus Boarding House Reach, just distilled to only its important elements and it being a more concise album. The songwriting is fairly all over the place, as the song structures themselves feel ever-changing. I know that some people will likely find it an obnoxious listen, and it can be at points, but I love how nothing else at all sounds like this. The majority of big names in rock music feel like they’re making the same music as they were 20 years ago, but having someone like Jack White still pushing the boundary of what can be considered accessible and quality rock music is important. He still has the nasty and grunge guitar riffs that a majority of his fans really love, but he also adds in some intense drumming and electronic elements, as well as some seemingly nonsensical lyrics. Fear of the Dawn may not be what some people want from Jack White, but he’s clearly making fascinating music that not only is helping push the genre forward, it’s maniacally entertaining as well.
Pusha T - It’s Almost Dry
Hip hop is full of seemingly amazing albums that never actually materialize. So when Pusha said in 2020 that his next album was going to solely be produced by Pharrell and Kanye, I assumed we would never hear it. But contrary to what I expected, It’s Almost Dry is co-produced by those two legendary producers, each of them taking six songs. There was no way that this album wasn’t going to be great, and it lived up to the expectations! Kanye has some more classic sample flips once again, especially on the track “Dreamin of the Past”, of which is a Donny Hathaway cover of a John Lennon song that is looped to perfection. Pharrell’s beats are a bit more samey, but they’re more consistent in quality and fantastic, no matter if it’s a wild 2-minute thrillride like “Let The Smokers Shine The Coupes,” or a more melodic track like “Call My Bluff”. Pusha once again brings his brand of coke raps and even declares himself the “Cocaine Dr. Seuss” on the second track. There does seem to be layers of meaning here beyond the traditional coke bars, but I’ve been too stuck on the production and his flows to fully digest what he’s saying. Either way, It’s Almost Dry is easily one of the best hip hop albums of the year and not one to be missed.
Future - I Never Liked You
Future’s music doesn’t take that much intense listening to fully digest it. He gives his same brand of toxicity with a side of heartbreak once again on I Never Liked You, except this time, it might be his best full body of work in a few years. There’s no immediate hit on here like some of his previous albums have had, but there’s nothing on here that’s bad either. The production, mainly handled by ATL Jacob, is intricately layered and upbeat throughout most of this album. There is also a Hatsune Miku sample on here because why not! “Holy Ghost” has this incredible beat that builds with strings and choirs throughout the entire runtime while Future is just flowing effortlessly over it. “Puffin on Zooties” is another highlight with this extremely atmospheric beat that immediately gives off this feeling of calm inside this album of chaos. There are some moments on here that are headscratchers, including many awkward lines Future says that don’t even bear repeating, and the entirety of the track “For A Nut” is filled with lyrical annoyances. Even with that, I Never Liked You is a tight 48-minute album filled with some of the best trap music of 2022 so far.
Omar Apollo - Ivory
Ivory is Omar Apollo’s debut album and even though it came out around a million other high profile albums, Omar proves why he’s amassed a large fanbase! Omar does this accessible indie-pop/R&B sound better than almost anyone else, in my opinion. Ivory encompasses everything from upbeat indie-pop songs, to acoustic guitar ballads, to bangers produced by The Neptunes that move between English and Spanish effortlessly. “Killing Me” is a personal favorite track on here and features this insanely smooth guitar riff and some potent writing, while a song like “Petrified” shows off Omar’s really great vocal range over just an acoustic guitar. He also brings on features like Daniel Caesar and Kali Uchis onto these songs, each of which always sound beautiful no matter what the song is. “Go Away” is an upbeat song that I could see becoming very popular on the radio or streaming services. Overall, Ivory is a really good debut album from a talented artist that has a bright future in front of him.
Orville Peck - Bronco
Bronco is Orville Peck’s second studio album, and although the shock and charm is gone, the album is full of technically better songs than before! I’ll get the big negative out of the way, 54 minutes of this sound is too much for me, especially when the first half of the album washes the second half. “C’mon Baby, Cry” is easily one of Orville’s best songs yet, especially when looking at his vocals and the infectious chorus. “Daytona Sand” starts out the album with a driving country anthem fit for a western. “The Curse of the Blackened Eye” and “Lafayette” are both great and cinematic ballads from Orville. Even though the first half is easily better, the second half still has its own highlights. “Let Me Down” has easily his best vocal performance on the album. He really puts his all into belting out these notes. “Any Turn” sounds like it could be a hit on country radio stations, and hopefully it does help bring some more eyes to his music. Overall, Bronco is another solid album from one of country’s more secretive and unique acts.
Yung Lean - Stardust
Yung Lean is a part of this large wave of cloud rap coming from Sweden and he’s been making waves for almost a decade now. Stardust is my first experience with a full Yung Lean project, and while it definitely seems like an acquired taste overall, there are some highlights I’ll be returning to. FKA twigs is on the intro track to this album and her vocals sound beautiful over this upbeat, accessible production. Speaking of the production, most of these songs are produced beautifully and filled to the brim with these layered synths that create a hazy atmosphere. The stand out to me on this mixtape is easily “Waterfall”, and it surprises me that people aren’t talking about it more. The synths and reverb on Yung Lean’s voice are layered until they’re almost unrecognizable, and he sounds like an extremely drunk person trying to sing a love song, but it somehow works because of this amazing production and vocal layering during the chorus. I’m not sure if Stardust has turned me into a Yung Lean fan, but it gave me some great songs and a better look into an influential artist.
Billy Woods & Preservation - Aethiopes
Billy Woods might be the hardest rapper to actually understand what he’s saying. His writing is extremely dense and abstract, many times just painting a story with extreme detail. For his newest solo album, he decided to team up with producer Preservation, who made some incredible beats for Woods! The production is so abstract and full of haunting sample flips. If free jazz was in hip hop form, it would probably sound like this album. There are many underground legends on the feature list, including El-P, Quelle Chris, Despot, Boldly James, and many more. Lyrically, this album is as dense as ever and I have barely begun to even digest what he’s talking about. Sometimes, it’s still hard to tell what he’s talking about by reading the lines, but he’ll still make them sound intriguing. For example, there’s a part on the song “Remorseless” where he says, “A goat eats where it’s tethered. Treat African proverbs like Vegas flyers, I float above the peasants. Too clever by half, halftime down twenty. I’m not that good at math, but common sense, I got plenty.” I feel like I understand about 70% of what he’s trying to get across here, but he’s so lyrically dense sometimes that it’s hard to tell. Either way, Aethiopes is an intriguing and fascinating listen for fans that want a challenge.
Girl Talk, Wiz Khalifa, Big K.R.I.T., Smoke DZA - Full Court Press
I never would have thought these three rappers would have a collaboration project together, but here we are, and it was surprisingly really good! It’s a tight 10 tracks and just over 30 minutes full of Southern, soulful, laidback hip hop. Big K.R.I.T. especially shows out on this project, which is easily the best he’s sounded consistently rapping since 2017! His verses on tracks like “Put You On” and especially “Fly The Coop” are fantastic! Wiz Khalifa has both his melodic moments where he tries to sing, but he also brings some immediately catchy hooks on the bangers “No Singles” and “Ain’t No Fun”. While about half of these songs are really great and fantastic, the rest aren’t bad or annoying to listen to at all. This project would’ve been huge in the early 2010s with these names, but it now feels like it’s going under the radar. Hopefully some fans of these artists start spreading this album around, because it’s a whole lot of fun!
SAULT - Air
SAULT has become one of my favorite bands of the past couple years with their nonstop releases. The anonymous group appears to revolve around producer Inflo, but everyone else seems to come and go. Air is an unexpected step into the contemporary classical realm. They trade in the intricate and frantic drum patterns for an orchestra and a choir during the entire 45-minute runtime. This change of pace is definitely something I had to get used to, but now, I’m ready to embrace it for what it is. It’s impossible to compare Air to anything else they’ve ever done before, but it’s incredibly beautiful. It’s a bit taxing to sit there and really pay attention to this music, as it’s so formless and ambient leaning that it’s something to just experience and help you calm down. This album could end up really growing on me and becoming something I listen to constantly to help find peace, or I could never listen to it again and look at it as a cool one-off in their discography, only time will tell. But either way, Air is a gorgeous listen from an ever-changing musical anomaly.
Redveil - Learn 2 Swim
Redveil released this album on the day he turned 18. He produced the entire album by himself, as well as delivering potent bars and catchy hooks. Learn to Swim is his second project in the limelight, after his debut Niagara got the attention of Tyler, the Creator and many other artists. Even when teasing this album, he has a video of Denzel Curry, Saba, Mavi, Rich Brian, and Femdot giving him advice on how to act at 18 in the industry. The influences of those artists, and especially Earl Sweatshirt, are still present on this project, but it feels like Redveil is establishing his own lane and sound with this album more so than his previous one. He combines the soul samples and loops of someone like Earl with the more current and bass-heavy drums. It helps soundtrack songs like “pg baby” and “automatic” really well, but he can also make cinematic and ethereal moments like on the opening and closing tracks to the record. This still isn’t anywhere near my favorite hip hop album this year, but Redveil is proving that he’s not just a teen wonder and is an artist to pay attention to over these next few years.
Wet Leg - Wet Leg
Wet Leg is an indie-rock duo from England that became popular last year with their hit, “Chaise Lounge”. After many singles, their debut album is finally here and it’s definitely solid. There’s not much special about this project, but it’s full of catchy choruses, guitar riffs, and tight songwriting. Because the album is so similar, it does start to feel a bit longer than it is towards the back end, but it’s not bad at all. A song like “Angelica” shows that they can extend a song to almost 4 minutes and still have it be quality, instead of their typical 2 minute, 30-second runtime most of these songs have. There are a lot of other quality tracks on here though, including “Ur Mom”, “I Don’t Wanna Go Out”, “Being in Love”, “Wet Dream”, “Oh No", and more. I’m a little surprised at how much critics are loving this album because it is so straightforward, but I suppose they could be recommending worse things. Wet Leg proved that they’re more than a one-hit wonder, and I’ll be curious how they progress from here.
Comments