Meechy Darko - Gothic Luxury
Genre: Hip hop
Quick Review
Flatbush Zombies member Meechy Darko has been talking about a solo album for years, and it finally materialized last month! Meechy has said that this album was made in tandem with Denzel Curry’s newest album, and they both have a similar holistic, cohesive sound to them. Gothic Luxury even has more of a sonic theme with Dot da Genius producing the vast majority of the tracks on here. Meechy’s extremely distinct voice brings everything together. His delivery might be the best in hip hop. The features on here range from Black Thought and Busta Rhymes to Denzel Curry and Freddie Gibbs, each of which deliver great verses. The subject matter is fairly personal, as the genesis for the project came from Meechy’s father being shot and killed by the police. He doesn’t stray from his traditional style, so this likely won’t bring many more fans to his music, but this is still a great project!
Favorite Tracks: “What If?”, “On GOD” (Feat. Freddie Gibbs & A-Trak), “The MoMA” (Feat. Black Thought)
If You Like: Flatbush Zombies, DMX, lyrical and aggressive hip hop
Kenny Beats - Louie
Genre: Instrumental hip hop; soulful hip hop
Quick Review
Kenny had previously said that he would never release a solo album, but that all changed when his father was diagnosed with cancer in 2020. Louie was a childhood nickname given to Kenny by his father, and this whole project was made for his father after his diagnosis. This album is him processing those emotions, and it all comes together beautifully. This project feels like a carefree walk in the park during a sunny day. The samples are all extremely soulful, and Kenny’s beats are all upbeat and bouncy. In a way, this project sounds like a more thought out and better version of a lofi beats playlist. The little things in this project are what helps it stand out, whether it be the beautiful horns, the background vocals from people like Omar Apollo and Dijon, or the vocal samples that end many tracks on the album. I have yet to see how much replay value this album will have, but it’s a beautifully constructed project from hip hop’s most inspirational producer.
Favorite Tracks: “Eternal”, “Still”, “Get Around”
If You Like: Lofi beats; emotional instrumentals
Jockstrap - I Love You Jennifer B
Genre: Indie-pop; experimental; folktronica
Quick Review
This is the debut album from the UK-based duo of Georgia Ellery and Taylor Skye. After meeting in college, they released multiple EPs of Georgia’s beautiful voice mixed with Taylor’s electronic extravaganzas. I Love You Jennifer B is only nine songs long (and one bonus song), but it makes the best of it with many drawn-out songs that change multiple times over the runtime. At some points, it sounds like an easy listening folk album, while at others, it sounds like it should be in a club. It’s hard to really describe what this album sounds like because it’s unlike anything else out there. Even with Georgia also being a part of Britain’s greatest current band, Black Country, New Road, this album sounds nothing like that one. I Love You Jennifer B is an emotional and unique experience by this talented duo.
Favorite Tracks: “What’s It All About?”, “Debra”, “Glasgow”
If You Like: Beautiful electronic music; Spellling
Rosalía - Motomami +
Genre: Experimental-pop
Quick Review
This is Rosalía’s deluxe version of her album from earlier in 2022, Motomami! The original is easily one of my favorite projects of the year, so hearing more outtakes from this album was very welcome! She has been performing most of these new songs live since her tour began in July, so fans have known most of these songs, but having the studio versions is nice! “Despechá” is pure joy for two and a half minutes, while the off-kilter rhythm on “La Kilié” shouldn’t work, but it does! She even throws in a live version of “La Fama” that is getting me even more excited for her show later this month! (Editor’s Note: She put on an absolutely incredible performance!) The deluxe isn’t for people that aren’t already fans, but for people that already love the original, it’s always nice to hear more.
If You Like: The original album, Arca, experimental-pop
Yeat - Lyfë
Genre: Trap
Quick Review
Yeat is one of the first artists that sometimes makes me feel old. I’ve listened to this EP twice, and I still don’t think I’ve understood a single word he’s said. The production consists of mainly blown out 808s and video game-esque melodies overtop of them. There’s almost nothing of substance to grab onto, but for some reason, it works here. I don’t know if his Minions song helped ease me into his music or not, but I’ve enjoyed my listens of this so far. The production here is the real star of the show, and Yeat’s flow is entertaining. It also helps that this project is barely over 30 minutes, compared to his usual hour-long albums. Lyfë makes me more curious to see what he does in the future.
Favorite Tracks: “Flawlëss” feat. Lil Uzi Vert; “Talk”, “Wat it feel lykë”
If You Like: Playboi Carti; have a BeReal account; distorted production
Djo - Decide
Genre: Synth-pop; indie; psych-rock
Quick Review
Djo is the musical project of Stranger Things star Joe Keery. Decide is his second album so far, and even though I haven’t seen Stranger Things, I would guess that he is just as good of a musician as he is an actor. This project is full of 80s synth-pop and rock bangers! The lyrics are what ground this project in 2022, as they revolve around our relationships with social media and technology as a whole, but this album is just so much fun to listen to. There are clearly some songs that are meant to be funny and uplifting, which is only exacerbated by his weird vocal delivery. It’s not that this project shouldn’t be taken seriously though, the musicality behind it demands that it is. It is just an extreme amount of fun listening to this album. Decide sounds like it was meant to be listened to loud and on big speakers. Joe Keery isn’t just an actor pursuing music as a side gig, he’s the real deal.
If You Like: 80s psych-rock; Tame Impala; The Strokes more electronic songs
Blood Orange - Four Songs
Genre: R&B
Quick Review
It’s been three years since we got any new Blood Orange music, but he’s dropped at least half-a-dozen scores during that time period under his birth name, Dev Hynes. He also opened up for all 15 of Harry Styles’s performances at Madison Square Garden. This EP is exactly what it sounds like, just four new songs. Thankfully, all four of the songs are pretty good and fit squarely into what we’ve come to expect from Blood Orange so far. The vocals are reverbed and layered beautifully, while the drums and guitar chords tend to drive the track instrumentally. I do hope that this means that there is more music coming soon, because this just feels like a little appetizer instead of a full dish.
Favorite Tracks: “Something You Know” & “Wish”
If You Like: Blood Orange’s previous music; psychedelic R&B that’s hard to categorize
Marcus Mumford - (self-titled)
Genre: Folk rock; singer-songwriter
Quick Review
The Mumford & Sons lead singer has taken a break from the band to drop his official debut album. This album is a lot more pulled back than the typical Mumford & Sons affair. The songwriting here is easily some of the most personal I’ve heard all year, with Marcus going into him being sexually abused as a child and his alcoholism. Marcus’s voice is obviously just as great as always, especially when he decides to slow the songs down. Blake Mills also helped produce the entire album, and he’s done everything from Alabama Shakes to Perfume Genius, so having him here is a nice positive. Some of the songs towards the middle of the album do start to get a bit dull in my opinion, but it’s hard to knock someone who is being this open about his personal life. Having people like Phoebe Bridgers and Brandi Carlile on the album helps their respective songs be even greater, but it’s also a reminder that there are better songs in this vein with just a click of a button. Still, Marcus came through with a quality folk album that is extremely therapeutic.
Favorite Tracks: “Grace”, “Better Off High”, “How” (feat. Brandi Carlile)
If You Like: Mumford & Sons; Phoebe Bridgers or Brandi Carlile; introspective songs
Kenny Mason - Ruffs
Genre: Hip hop; alternative
Quick Review
Ruffs is the newest mixtape from Atlanta rapper Kenny Mason. It feels a lot more like a mixtape, as the subject matter isn’t personal at all compared to his previous material. Most of the songs on here are a fairly expected combination of current day hip hop and 2000s alternative music. The guitar riffs are heavy, and the 808s are deep. I haven’t fully digested it yet, but I’ve listened to it enough to know that fans of his will probably enjoy this as well, but I’m not sure if this will convince anyone new. Maybe the features of Jean Dawson and Young Nudy on some of the tracks will help convince some people to give Kenny a shot. It’s also worth noting that this is his first release on RCA, and it doesn’t sound like signing to a label changed his sound all that much.
Favorite Tracks: “Zoomies”, “Nosedive” (Feat. Jean Dawson), “333 / Atom”
If You Like: His previous work, J.I.D.
AG Club - Imposter Syndrome
Genre: Alternative hip hop; indie
Quick Review
AG Club is clearly a group that was influenced by the glory days of Brockhampton, but they’ve still managed to make a plethora of quality tracks and projects so far. Imposter Syndrome might be their most contained album so far. There are plenty of bangers that they are the best at, but they also switch it up with a few ballads and even a full indie rock track that was produced by Junior Varsity. The lyrics aren’t anything special, or even great, but their production and flows make the project an easily engaging listen. Even though this project is really good, I wonder if they can actually evolve from here, or if they’ll be stuck making projects like this forever. But for the time being, this is a quality hip hop project.
Favorite Tracks: “Kevin”, “Bodega Bandit” (Feat. Na-Kel Smith), “Mr. Put It On”
If You Like: Brockhampton; Redveil; Blog-era hip hop
James and the Shame - Human Overboard
Genre: Country; folk
Quick Review
This is the debut album from Rhett McLaughlin, known primarily through Youtube as one half of a duo called Rhett & Link. Human Overboard is an album all about his spiritual deconstruction that he went through a couple years ago. He grew up in North Carolina and was a devout Christian for most of his life, until he recently became agnostic, and the entire album is about his experience. There are songs directly about telling his family, children, and roommate about this revelation and their reactions. He also goes at Christian’s thanking Jesus for everything from their football team winning to a Supreme Court case. The songwriting is a bit corny and simple in points, but the honesty behind it helps hold it together. The subject matter does get a bit repetitive unless you’re invested in what he’s talking about, but it’s also an honest look into the mind of someone who’s gone from a Christian to agnostic.
Favorite Tracks: “Flash of Rationality”, “In Vain”, “Old Letters”
If You Like: Old country music; personal views of religion
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