Travis Scott - Utopia
Genre: Hip-hop
Review
5 years and many controversies later, Travis Scott released the highly anticipated album, Utopia. I haven’t had an album grow off me like this in a while. There clearly wasn’t any substance lyrically to begin with. So if you wanted him to address the Astroworld situation, don’t get excited. There’s one line in the 73-minute album about the album, and even that is fairly minimal. But even when it comes to the songs themselves, the hype that this project had helped elevate it for me on the first few listens. Having features like Drake, Beyonce, and Teezo Touchdown hidden for the first listen was amazing to hear for the first time, but many of the deep cuts here don’t amount to much of anything. “Circus Maximus” is only tolerable because of The Weeknd’s feature, whereas single “K-pop” with The Weeknd and Bad Bunny is clearly just streaming bait. As stated previously, there is absolutely nothing here lyrically, no matter how entertaining his flows are. That said, there are some highlights. The aforementioned features of Drake, Beyonce, and Teezo Touchdown all remain phenomenal though plenty of listens! The production here is overall incredible. Even when it’s a bit generic, everything here just sounds grand in a way that not many other people can cultivate. Utopia is an immaculately produced, but emotionless thrillride.
Favorite Songs: “I Know?”, “Delresto (ECHOES)” (Feat. Beyonce), “Meltdown” (Feat. Drake)
If You Like: Psychedelic hip-hop; production
Terrace Martin - Curly
Genre: Jazz; fusion
Review
Terrace Martin is back again with his second straight month of a new full length jazz album! Most of these songs are covers of songs that he was previously a part of, but they have been revamped to be more jazz-oriented. For example, there are multiple Kendrick Lamar remixes on here, both of which are fantastic! This album was inspired by his father who passed away earlier this year. In the caption announcing this album, Terrace credits his father for directly influencing his love of soul and groove, so this album is supposed to be a representation of that. All I can say is it succeeded in its goal! Even though they’re both great, I do prefer Curly to Fine Tune. This album is exactly what I would want from Terrace Martin. Sure, he’s not the most innovative or greatest jazz artist currently, but he scratches the right itch for me! There are supposedly four more jazz albums coming from him, and I can’t wait!
Favorite Songs: “24th & Lake”, “How Much A Dollar Cost”, “Untitled 5”
If You Like: Smooth jazz
Terrace Martin & James Fauntleroy - Nova
Genre: Jazz-fusion; soul
Review
Here we are, the third album from Terrace Martin in three consecutive months, and this time, it’s a collaboration project with James Fauntleroy. Even though it’s billed as an album, there are only 6 songs and just over 20 minutes. It’s closer to an EP, but no matter what you call it, this is something everybody can enjoy! Music nerds can listen to this and explain the history of Martin and Fauntleroy and why both of them coming together for a collab project is a huge deal in the producer and songwriter realm, whereas passive listeners can find some entertaining grooves and vocal performances. They even bring on other talented jazz artists like Robert Glasper and Chief Adjuah to add solos on their respective instruments. It’s a straightforward project, but yet another rewarding project from two of the best producers and songwriters of the past decade!
Favorite Songs: “Chocolate For Dinner” (Feat. Chief Adjuah), “Online Shopping”, “Witchcraft” (Feat. Robert Glasper)
If You Like: Music
Leroy - Grave Robbing
Genre: Dariacore; mashup
Review
This album would probably kill anyone that experienced World War 2. I can’t imagine what a 80-year old would think of this project. They might actually disintegrate like a Thanos snap, I don’t know. Leroy is the alter-ego of the artist Jane Remover where she creates these high energy electronic mashups. Since she’s only 19 years old, many of the songs that she chooses to sample are ones that I also remember from my childhood. Hearing “Give Me Everything” by Pitbull and “Let it Rock” by Kevin Rudolph again brought me back to the radio station around 2010. Each listen reveals more samples, including everything from multiple songs off the new Skrillex album to a song from the iCarly television show. Grave Robbing feels like it’s for a specific group of people, but I think I fit that category.
Favorite Songs: “WE'VE BEEN SMOKING ALL DAY ............”, “.PACK YOUR BAGS.LET IT ROCK.HEAR THE RUMBLE.”, “BACK DOOR EXIT ---- I'VE got a cr*sh on you”
If You Like: Know what dariacore is, the wildest party you’ve ever heard, are between the ages of 17 and 25
Bambii - Infinity Club
Genre: Dance; electronic
Review
This is the debut EP from Toronto-based dance artist, Bambii. She came up by creating a party space for people of color and in particular, LGTBQ+ people to be free of judgment. These parties have only grown in size over the years, always organized by Bambii herself. Now, she’s branched out into her first ever solo release, and it’s evident she’s got talent when it comes to songwriting and producing too! “Wicked Gyal” is easily my favorite track on here, mainly because of Bambii’s producing work on it. I think it would be impossible to listen to this song and not feel like being in a club atmosphere, even if you’re like me and might hate that experience. It might just be a dance party by yourself in a bedroom for all that matters, or in the car on the way home from a terrible day of work. My only complaint about Infinity Club is that I wanted more by the end of it, so hopefully Bambii does come back with another project sooner rather than later.
Favorite Songs: “Wicked Gyal” (Feat. Lady Lykez), “Hooked” (Feat. Aluna), “Body”
If You Like: Kelela; SOPHIE; being in dance clubs until 3AM
Amaka - Oasis
Genre: Dance; R&B; soul
Review
Amaka is one half of the R&B duo VanJess, who recently disbanded earlier in 2023. Oasis is her first solo effort, and to be honest, she wasn’t the primary draw here for me. I liked VanJess, but I’m here because Kaytranada is here with another complete project that he produced. I have to say, his production here fits way better than the collaboration album they put so much effort into promoting. Each song on here is an accessible dance-pop track. Sure, Kaytranada’s production isn’t always innovative, and Amaka’s voice isn’t incredible, but it doesn’t have to be. They work well together and when it works, it’s especially magical! “Hold Tight” is a prime example, with Amaka’s falsetto sounding beautiful over the nasty Kaytranada bassline. The same goes for “Unfamiliar”, especially with Kaytranada’s production sounding straight out of a Janet Jackson or Beyonce classic! Oasis will be one of music’s most underrated EPs this year, don’t let it slip past you if you like upbeat R&B!
Favorite Songs: “Unfamiliar”, “Hold Tight”, “Cruisin”
If You Like: Kaytranada; dancing
Mick Jenkins - The Patience
Genre: Hip-hop
Review
One of hip-hop’s best writers is back with his most straightforward album yet, but The Patience might be his most replayable project yet! At only 11 tracks and 27 minutes long, this project flies by. Every feature on here is fantastic, but no one outshines Mick. Mick’s aggression here is unheard of throughout his whole back catalog. He is yelling on tracks like “Pasta” and “Guapanese”! As much as I love some of Mick’s calmer tracks, I’ve always been partial to aggressive Mick Jenkins tracks, so having a full album of those tracks is fantastic! The songs themselves are still extremely lyrical, even if there is no overarching concept. “ROY G. BIV” has a color reference in every single line, whereas “Guapanese” is all about the necessity of money. There’s plenty of lines on here that are both clever and catchy, including the chorus of “Farm to Table” that goes, “Bad bitch on my arm, but she’s no bitch.” Overall though, this album has everything that a hip-hop album should be; thought provoking lyrics, great features, incredible rapping, fantastic production, and someone hungry to prove that they’re one of the best to ever do it.
Favorite Songs: “Show & Tell” (Feat. Freddie Gibbs), “007”, “Guapanese”
If You Like: Hip-hop
Cautious Clay - Karpeh
Genre: Soul; jazz-fusion; indie-pop
Review
Well this was a left turn. Cautious Clay used to make enjoyable, but a bit generic indie-pop with a little bit of singer-songwriter sensibilities. That is not what Karpeh is. Karpeh was released under famed jazz-label Blue Note Records, and it’s a full jazz-fusion album. It’s a heavy concept album named after Clay’s born-last name. The entire project is about his family life and how it led him to where he is now. There are skits narrated by his family members that help guide the listener through the album, especially during the instrumental tracks. It’s the rare album that is unique sounding, but is also fairly accessible for the average person. A song like “Glass Face” might challenge people with the wild bass-playing and the angelic harmonies from Arooj Aftab, but the two tracks before it are more straightforward soul tracks that could fit into most people’s playlists. The album goes through challenging and immediately satisfying moments that take the listener on a ride. Karpeh was one of the biggest surprises in music I’ve had all year!
Favorite Songs: “Glass Face” (Feat. Arooj Aftab & Kai Eckhardt), “Another Half” (Feat. Julian Lage), “The Tide Is My Witness”
If You Like: Blue Note Records; jazz-fusion; weird, but accessible music that is somewhat experimental
Leon Thomas - Eternal Dusk
Genre: R&B; hip-hop
Review
I remember watching Leon Thomas acting as Andre on the Nickelodeon's Victorious TV show for a good portion of my teen years. He became an acclaimed producer in the next decade, working with Drake, fellow Victorious cast member Ariana Grande, Post Malone, and he even currently has a top 15 track on Billboard in SZA’s “Snooze”, but his debut album had yet to materialize. Eternal Dusk is that official debut introduction to the mainstream audience. It’s clearly a love-letter to R&B, for both better and worse. The lyrics are sometimes super toxic R&B material, especially on a track like “Sneak”, where he talks about actively helping someone cheat and bragging about it. But for the most part, this is a fantastic R&B release that shows Leon’s potential to be a new creative power in the genre. The chorus of “My Will”, the entirety of “Breaking Point”, the unique groove of “Blue Hundreds”, and the vocal layering on “Socialite” are all moments that are up there with just about any current day R&B artist. Hopefully Leon continues to express just how talented he is, but for now, Eternal Dusk is a great starting point!
Favorite Songs: “Blue Hundreds”, “Breaking Point”, “Crash & Burn”
If You Like: Channel Orange; Miguel
Various Artists - Barbie The Album
Genre: Pop
Review
For a soundtrack, this really isn’t bad at all. Everything does hit significantly harder after seeing the movie though. About half of these songs are in the movie, and they each play a pretty pivotal role when it comes to the story. Some of these tracks don’t even make sense listening to them outside of the movie. The Lizzo song, for example, fits the scene in the movie so much more than it does in any other context. The same goes for the Tame Impala track, Billie Eilish track, and many more. I don’t want to give specific reasons why they fit because most are spoilers, but they do. There are some straight bops here, including the tracks from Dua Lipa, Charli XCX, and PinkPantheress. Overall though, it’s a soundtrack to a movie about Barbie, stop thinking and have fun.
Favorite Songs: “Dance The Night”, “Speed Drive”, “What Was I Made For?”
If You Like: Very happy movie soundtracks
The Weeknd/Various Artists - The Idol Vol. 1
Genre: Pop; R&B
Review
I’m refusing to watch The Idol. It seemed bad when The Weeknd teased it at his show last summer, and I have yet to see someone say anything positive about it. If you haven’t heard about it, don’t look into it, it’s fine. It’s canceled already anyway, so there’s no need. But what did come from this project was a bunch of music from each episode. There was no official larger project, so I just combined all of the EPs into one large soundtrack, and to no one’s surprise, everything here is inconsistent. There are some highlights, including both singles put out by The Weeknd. Both “Double Fantasy” and “Popular” have fantastic production behind them, and having Madonna and Playboi Carti on the same song was not something I was expecting. Songs like “Fill The Void” and “One of the Girls” also have fantastic, cult-ish production. The biggest surprise here was Suzanna Son, who is a new actor and singer in the show. She has a great voice, and I would definitely check out a solo project from her after these songs. Besides her though, this collection of songs is just good to take away your highlights and never return to the rest.
Favorite Songs: “Popular” (Feat. Madonna & Playboi Carti), “Fill The Void” (Feat. Lily Rose-Depp & Ramsey), “Double Fantasy” (Feat. Future)
If You Like: The Weeknd
George Clanton - Ooh Rap I Ya
Genre: Psychedelic; indie-rock; vaporwave
Review
Ooh Rap I Ya might be the dumbest title to an album I’ve heard all year, but that doesn’t mean the album isn’t fantastic! The album is full of psych-rock bangers, nothing more, nothing less. There’s usually a couple of albums a year where I don’t have much to say besides that the songs are great, and this is one of them. Sure, George’s vocals could have been more present in the mix, but the layers of synths on every track more than make up for it. The nine songs on here all fly by, even though each track averages out to be over four minutes in length. Each listen reveals more and more layers in the instrumentals that George created here. There’s really not much more to say about this project. It's a fantastic collection of songs for people to delve into!
Favorite Songs: “I Been Young”, “Justify Your Life”, “F.U.M.L.” (Feat. Neggy Gemmy)
If You Like: Psychedelic pop
Joey Purp - Heavy Heart Vol. 1
Genre: Hip-hop; trap
Review
The last time Joey Purp released a solo project was 2018, so even though this mixtape is under 20 minutes long, and multiple songs were released in 2021, I’m just glad to have new music from him! While some people don’t like his take on trap music, I find his influence of dance music in his style of hip-hop is unique and easily enjoyable. This project is a combination of every style he’s ever done, but that’s to be expected from a mixtape. “Outside” is still a banger all these years later, whereas “There Must Be A Caesar” is a throwback to his style he came into the game with on iiiDrops. “However It Go” and “Ran Outta Ones” are some of the highest-paced hip-hop songs this year, but Joey absolutely destroys them. He’s making sure you know that no matter what style of his music you like, he is still a talented rapper that deserves respect.
Favorite Songs: “However It Go”, “Ran Outta Ones”, “Outside”
If You Like: Chicago hip-hop; Spillage Village
G Perico - 7 Figures Later
Genre: West Coast gangsta rap
Review
It’s been a while since I talked about a G Perico album here, but he never stopped releasing multiple albums a year. 7 Figures Later is just the first one in a while that I think might be worth a listen for a passive listener. The album follows his usual tirade of flexing and stories, but it feels more inspirational this time. He mentions many times here how he went broke in 2019, which is after his supposed big break. It’s always nice to see someone actually create something for themselves through the art that they create. Sure, this album is still far from innovative in any way. The production is some fantastic, but expected west coast hip-hop. His lyrics aren’t that impressive, but it leaves a mark. Some of the hooks get in your head, even if they are deceptively simple. The album does tail off in quality towards the end as well. All of that is expected for G Perico, but for some reason, this project feels a little different.
Favorite Songs: “Move Like Us” (Feat. Allstar Baget), “Pressure”, “Stop Playin’”
If You Like: YG; Nipsey Hussle
Quavo - Rocket Power
Genre: Trap; hip-hop
Review
This is Quavo’s first solo album since Takeoff’s passing, and if the title isn’t enough, this album is heavily inspired by his loss. When it does get personal, I appreciate the new ground that it allows Quavo to cover. “Hold Me” is an extremely emotional track where Quavo talks about how he needs someone in his life to hold him due to all the tragedies that he’s been through. It’s not super lyrical, but the emotion of the track is apparent. The same goes for the track “Mama”, which is clearly a dedication to his mother. Even on a track like “11:11”, it starts out with the lines, “Dark nights, I can't sleep, so I cry 'til I close my eyes. I never asked God, ‘Why?’ I just go where the road designed”. It’s not clever, but even without the backstory, it’s clear that Quavo is going through it. And sure, not everything on here is great, but this is still a pretty solid trap album made while processing a horrible tragedy.
Favorite Songs: “Turn Yo Clic Up” (Feat. Future), “Hold Me”, “Patty Cake” (Feat. Takeoff)
If You Like: Migos; 2010s trap music
Jon Batiste - World Music Radio
Genre: Pop; soul
Review
After the first couple tracks, I really thought I was going to be in for one of the worst albums I’ve heard all year. Besides the radio skit introduction, the first two tracks themselves were so generic. One of them was literally put together by Coca-Cola as an advertisement. Don’t get me wrong, We Are had some of that extremely-polished feeling, but it was nowhere near this level. Thankfully, the album does get better from there. Sure, everything here is still a collection of fairly generic versions of pop music around the world, but it’s at least admirable instead of so boring it’s slightly tortuous. “Uneasy” with Lil Wayne is fantastic, especially when it comes to Wayne’s verse over Batiste’s piano! “Drink Water” is a nice afrobeat track, but nothing special. A lot of the time though, it’s only part of a song that is executed well. For example, the instrumental and vocal layering during the builds of “Worship” are fantastic, but there is zero payoff. The instrumental on “White Space” is incredible, but Jon’s comatose auto tuned vocals do nothing to help the song. He sounds like he’s falling asleep with the autotune. There’s good ideas here, and a few good overall tracks, but most of this album feels like it’s trying to appeal to everybody, while simultaneously not appealing to anyone.
Favorite Songs: “Uneasy” (Feat. Lil Wayne), “Drink Water” (Feat. Jon Bellion & Fireboy DML), “Life Lesson” (Feat. Lana Del Rey)
If You Like: Disney Channel; Hamilton
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