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Music

Sheer Mag live at La Sala Rossa

Last Friday, the Philly band delivered a refined performance that felt inherently punk.

Shuffling casually on stage and picking up his guitar with no acknowledgement or nod to the audience, Kyle Seely launched Sheer Mag’s Montreal performance with a series of crunchy guitar chords that would have fit snugly on any AC/DC album.

The band’s performance at La Sala Rossa on Sept. 1, in support of its new record, Need To Feel Your Love, was brimming with colossal riffs and bruising political flare.

The audience’s anticipation was apparent. Before the show, there was little to no room in front of the stage, and the banter was kept to a minimum. This set the tone for the rest of the night.

Ignoring any sort of mindless pretense, pauses between songs were reserved strictly for the audience’s passionate cheers. Drummer Allen Chapman played in front of a banner that displayed Sheer Mag’s endearingly dated logo. That was about the extent of the show’s production value—no flashy flourishes, no glitzy showmanship, just uncompromising rock-and-roll swagger.

Throughout the performance, Sheer Mag aimed to cram its ambitious sounds into a short, yet unyielding 45 minutes, combining all the attitude with riffs ripped straight from Thin Lizzy’s songbook. It was a perplexing mix to witness, sure, but this is revivalism we’re dealing with. And yet, it’s revivalism edged with a brawny and confident type of artistry that feels both honest and bold.

Sheer Mag’s crux, despite all their vintage 70s adornments, is keeping its sights fixed firmly on the future. While “Button Up” pushes at breakneck speeds with a blast of fiery Southern rock and harmony-laden melodies at the forefront, it remains an anthemic protest song about refuting societal oppression. “I know they don’t like the way that I talk / Don’t like the way that I walk,” sings vocalist Tina Halladay. The lyrics act as a comment on the backseat role women have historically played in rock music, especially in the 70s. Sheer Mag’s army was the denim-clad misfits assembled at the front of the stage, grooving uniformly throughout the night.

The show wasn’t all politics, however. “Nobody’s Baby” counteracted the band’s raw, firebrand politics with glam-sensible power-balladry. “Meet Me In The Street” was a call to arms, with Halladay’s prickly vocals consistently roaring through like sandpaper. All the while, her lyrics emphasized the importance of compassion and empathy in a bleak, unforgiving world.

Typically, you wouldn’t think to mesh 70s proto-metal aesthetics with a biting political agenda—but that’s what makes Sheer Mag such an exciting project. The band inverts rock and roll expectations by churning out muscled guitar music that resonates with elements from then and now.

With a swarm of primal energy leading its performance, Sheer Mag’s sound is more closely associated with a classic rock radio station than a DIY punk outfit. Still, they cast off any and all expectations, pairing lo-fi textures with studio-polished 70s rock. This band has rooted itself in the very fabric of rock and roll and revamped it to a vehicle of escapism for misunderstood rockers.

 

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Music Quickspins

Action Bronson – Blue Chips 7000

Action Bronson – Blue Chips 7000 (Atlantic Records, 2017)

After a two-year hiatus, Action Bronson has returned to conclude his Blue Chips trilogy, one of the most beloved mixtape series in recent memory. Unfortunately, Blue Chips 7000 fails to live up to previous installments. Bronson’s eccentric, one-of-a-kind personality is simultaneously his biggest strength and his biggest weakness, as his rapping has become formulaic and sometimes repetitive. The album’s biggest strength, though, is its phenomenal production, which carries Bronson’s weaker performances but highlights him at his best. The latter is apparent on tracks like “9-24-7000,”  “Let It Rain” and “My Right Lung.” The biggest standout, “La Luna,” includes his best rapping on the project, which is placed over a gorgeous, Alchemist-produced instrumental. Though the album is slightly underwhelming and lacks any significant growth in Bronson, it does contain some of his best songs, funniest lines and gorgeous instrumentals.

Trial TracK: “La Luna”

6.5/10

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Music

Taylor Swift’s ever-increasing ego

Graphics by Alexa Hawksworth

A slightly exaggerated and political take on her new song

Our favourite multimillionaire Taylor Swift has released her latest Kanye West diss track, “Look What You Made Me Do.” Swift has been more-or-less dormant since the release of her 2014 album, 1989. It seems in that time Swift has been unable to “shake it off,” and has somehow become even more vindictive.

Her peers and superiors are creating intelligent, unique-sounding and politically-motivated music that has had a decisive impact on popular culture, such as Harry Style’s “Sign of the Times” and Kendrick Lamar’s album, DAMN . Meanwhile, Swift decided to release a self-absorbed song about her “tortured” past.

The track has a minimalist, electronic-pop sound, similar to songs on her last album. The song’s primary focus is its vocals and downright terrible lyrics. Diss tracks have always had a place in pop music—Justin Timberlake’s 2002 diss track about Britney Spears, “Cry Me a River,” being a notable example.

However, Swift just doesn’t have the bite to pull it off. With lyrics like: “The role you made me play / Of the fool, no, I don’t like you,” Swift hits as hard as a 15-year-old on LiveJournal whining about high school. At the same time, she delivers the lines thinking they are badass and well-crafted disses, but in reality, the lyrics are as vicious as the average Tumblr post. The music video is much worse.

In the video, Swift is standing atop a pile of more than a dozen Taylor Swifts from different eras of her career who are fighting to get to the top, dramatically casting her arms to the side as they fall into the void. When I first watched it, I paused and took a short walk.

Last year, Beyoncé released her seminal album, Lemonade—an album that was a socially-aware commentary on blackness and femininity. In contrast, after seeing that scene in Swift’s video, I questioned the artistic value of any and all music. Swift has always had a tone-deaf approach to her music and public persona, lacking any sign of self-awareness or tact—this new Taylor has multiplied that approach tenfold.

Her silence during the 2016 United States presidential election was deafening. She has a massive platform, millions of fans and has cultivated a feminist public persona, yet refrained from standing up for what she believed in during such a divisive time—actions that directly affect her fans who are people of colour, women and part of the LGBTQ community. As the recent Video Music Awards showed, many of her peers are actively engaged in politics, even though their music may not be particularly political. Swift has refrained from the slightest mention of politics, maybe out of fear of causing controversy. I don’t know.

But what I do know is music is released into a world dominated by politics, and people’s public perceptions are not separate from that. Swift has released a song in a post-President Trump world – of course people are going to react politically. Over the summer, Nazis openly marched in Charlottesville, Va., trans service people have been denied the right to serve in the U.S. military, and Trump pardoned a racist sheriff convicted of violating civil rights laws. While all of that is happening, Swift decides to release another grueling, self-indulgent track.

With all the political events that have transpired over the summer, I can’t help but criticize the song’s irrelevancy. I can’t consider the song some kind of escapist anthem either, because the beat isn’t fun and the lyrics lack depth. This track dwells on the drama Swift hasn’t let go of, while the rest of the world has moved on. It’s absolutely fine if you enjoy the song, it reflects nothing about you, but the song certainly reflects Taylor Swift’s lack of self-awareness.

Graphics by Alexa Hawksworth

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Music

Fresh faces and a new beginning

Michał Langiewicz and Allison O’Reilley are seen making a few tweaks to the station’s main soundboard. Photo by Kirubel Mahari

CJLO’s recent facelift will provide quality campus radio for everyone

“Campus Radio is for Lovers” are the words sprawled across the white T-shirt hung in the hallway by CJLO 1690 AM’s offices at the Loyola campus. The bubbly red font is reminiscent of the 70s—an era of extravagance, groove and one in which radio reigned supreme. In our internet age, where everything is digitized and readily accessible at the tips of our fingers, radio seems to be a bygone medium. Its failure to adapt to the needs of the current-day consumer has rendered it futile and irrelevant. College radio, however, proves to be the sole exception, acting as the last vestige of an archaic platform.

Nestled at the far end of the CC building’s fourth floor, reaching the station requires you to awkwardly trudge through the Guadagni Lounge. Upon entering the station, however, its charm immediately takes over. The sound of music buzzing from speakers greets you as you pass by the in-house studio space and DJ room.

A community-driven operation, CJLO 1690 AM is run by a devoted team of DJs and volunteers. “We are not for profit,” said Allison O’Reilly, the station’s program director, whose CV includes commercial radio gigs in Nova Scotia. “Everything we do is in service of the students and of the local music scene. We try to stay progressive, we try to avoid commercialisation, we try to appeal to underground music. So everything I value.”

O’Reilly, alongside station manager Michał Langiewicz, and director of promotions, sponsorship and funding Josh Spencer, make up the “big three.” They are a tireless trio with invaluable experience in the industry, which makes them a tremendous asset to the station. They are also fresh faces to the station, having all joined the team within the past year, after the exodus of a large portion of the longtime staff. “It was like a domino effect,” Langiewicz said. “A lot of people were graduating, a lot of people had been there for a while and felt like it was time to move on.”

The change, although major, is generally seen as positive. This coming school year marks the newly-assembled staff’s first year together and seems to be the dawning of a new era for the station. Though the new staff greatly commend their predecessors’ work at the station, they made it clear they plan on revamping CJLO as much as possible. “I think it’s a new opportunity for us to expand into different directions,” said Langiewicz, who first broke into the city’s music scene through BAD LUNCH, a DIY concert venue he ran out of his Pointe-St-Charles home. “It’s kind of continuing a legacy, but taking it in a new direction.”

The changes made to the station deal, in part, with modernizing its programming by introducing more progressive shows into its already packed rotation. “We have LGBTQ programming, we have programming which deals with social and racial issues, and that’s something I feel the station didn’t have as much of in the past,” Langiewicz said. “We’re definitely looking to go in a direction that’s covering more ground and representing as many different people as possible.”

Allison O’Reilly’s enthusiasm about CJLO’s future is infectious.

The most noticeable update is the new staff’s dedication to increasing community involvement. This new direction is obvious in the station’s upcoming promotional events. Hiring Josh Spencer, the founder of the local music event planning company Kick Drum, as director of promotions, has certainly helped. “He’s very attuned to what’s happening in the local music scene, so since he came in all of a sudden, Montreal bands came in,” O’Reilly said. Despite his recent arrival, Spencer’s  promotions expertise has proven momentous, as his summer backyard sessions have been greeted with great applause from spectators and artists alike.

The station’s biggest event, its annual FUNDrive, takes place from Sept. 22 to 30 on both campuses. The event will be a grand debut of sorts for the new trio. Showcasing their experience, as well as the station’s new direction, the eight-day event is going to be jam-packed with 10 events ranging from a heavy metal showcase to a soccer tournament. The proceeds will go to the station, allowing its staff to make improvements and continue pursuing their vision.

With regard to the importance of campus radio, O’Reilly said, “while it may not seem relevant [within the scope of modern media], what we can do to support those who wouldn’t otherwise have a platform in mainstream media, I believe, is very important and still relevant.”

Photos by Kirubel Mahari

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Music

Mile Ex End Musique merges artistry and urbanity

Over Labour Day weekend, eager music lovers congregated beneath Van Horne overpass for a fun and unique festival experience

Were it not for the large, yellow “Mile Ex End Musique” sign propped up against one of the concrete supports of the Van Horne overpass, festival-goers might have mistaken the set-up for an elaborate back-to-school barbeque. Past the entranceway was a long line of picnic tables, with people of all ages resting in their seats, eating an assortment of festival foods and tranquilly putting back booze.

There was a sense of serenity that came with Labour Day weekend—with the knowledge one had an extra 24 hours to prepare for the week and, for some, the start of a new school year. Fairy lights were strung up between slabs of concrete, and as the sun dipped lower in the horizon, the entire space was painted in warm yellow hues.

The festival had three stages: Mile Ex, Mile End and Van Horne. The largest, Mile Ex, was positioned at one end of a parking lot. The other two were tucked, near seamlessly, into the urban landscape. Unlike many musical gatherings, most of the performances were staggered, meaning acts rarely had to fight to be heard. These individual run-times allowed the event’s impressive sound quality to shine through, demonstrating the unique resonance of the confined location.

The festival’s audience doesn’t seem to mind the persistent rain. Photo by Sandra Hercegova

Day one was the quieter of the two days, and there was space to recline in the grass as bands like the Foreign Diplomats took the Van Horne stage. The group had gusto worthy of a full-sized stadium, and lead singer Élie Raymond channeled old-school alternative acts like The Cure with his quaking, gothic vocals.

Busty and the Bass, similarly, radiated charisma. Wearing dress shirts and wielding their brass instruments with the nonchalant expertise of frat boys holdings beers, they wooed and impressed in equal measure.

Other Saturday acts included Cat Power and City and Colour. The former was her typical ethereal self, but failed to hold a crowd the way her fellow headliners did. City and Colour likewise maintained the pitch-perfect sound we’ve come to expect from lead vocalist Dallas Green, but their overall energy paled in comparison to that of some of the younger, more eager acts.

Despite persistent rain on day two, the festival was livelier. Standing and swaying amidst a sea of poncho-laden listeners heightened the festival’s underground, cult atmosphere. One often had to crane their neck to catch a glimpse of the band members between umbrellas.

Local trip-pop star Charlotte Cardin amazes the crowd with an energetic set consisting of original work and even a Post Malone cover. Photo by Sandra Hercegova

Flexing her chilled fingers and commenting on the cold, local trip-pop star Charlotte Cardin nevertheless dazzled the crowd with everything—from newly minted original work to a cover of Post Malone.

Of all the performers, Patrick Watson best demonstrated the festival’s aesthetic potential. Between positioning a choir atop a viaduct column and descending into the audience in an Inspector-Gadget-esque contraption to sing “Man Under the Sea,” Watson captured the raw intimacy of the space unlike any other headliner.

Though this brand of spectacle might run the risk of overpowering the event’s gritty, indie aesthetic, ultimately, Mile Ex End Musique was an event based in experimentation. One can only hope to see future acts play to this strength in the years to come.

Photos by Sandra Hercegova

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Music Quickspins

Lil Uzi Vert – Luv Is Rage 2

Lil Uzi Vert – Luv Is Rage 2 (Atlantic Records, 2017)

Lil Uzi Vert’s latest album, Luv is Rage 2, sees the Philly trap rapper expand on his signature eclectic sound with some of his best songs to date, but also some of his most mundane. The album starts with the song “Two,” a boring run-of-the-mill Uzi song complete with nasally vocals and a complete lack of lyrical substance. Songs like “444+222” and “The Way Life Goes” make up for the lows on the album, but aren’t enough to take away from the fact that Uzi sounds completely uninspired. The album finishes with Uzi’s biggest hit, “XO Tour Life,” which recently won “Song of the Summer” at the MTV Video Music Awards. Uzi’s personal lyrics and flow placed over record producer TM88’s beat makes the song one of the best in his catalogue. But at song 16, “XO Tour Life” is too little too late.

Trial Track: “The Way Life Goes”

Score: 4/10

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Music Quickspins

The War On Drugs – A Deeper Understanding

The War On Drugs – A Deeper Understanding (Atlantic Records, 2017)

Heartland rock revivalists, The War On Drugs, is back with their amazing album, A Deeper Understanding. Meticulously crafted instrumental layers give the album a dense and dreamlike vibe, complemented by Adam Granduciel’s gravelly singing. Lyrics are striking and emotionally charged, such as this line from “Pain”: “I met a man with a broken back / He had a fear in his eyes that I could understand.” With each new song, the album puts you in a constant state of awe. The album’s best tracks are “Holding On” and “You Don’t Have To Go,” because of the lush production value and vivid imagery of the lyrics. This album is perfect for walking through the city in the early morning when the weather’s slightly cold and no one is around.

Trial track: “Holding On”

Score: 9.5/10

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Music Quickspins

Everything Everything – A Fever Dream (RCA Records, 2017)

Since emerging in 2010, Everything Everything has formulated a way of writing songs uniquely and effectively, and their fourth studio album, A Fever Dream, is no different. The album’s forthcoming and cryptic sound reflects a concern with the modern human condition. This is due in part to the album’s politically driven lyrics, which display feelings of disillusionment with the world’s current political climate. Musically, however, there is a clear playfulness and restlessness that downplays the political undertones. Everything Everything is successful in always inventing new ways to twist and bend rock and electronic to create surprising sounds. A Fever Dream flows really well, sucking you in with the moody “Night of the Long Knives” and picks up tremendous pace with the catchy “Can’t Do.” If you want a good introduction to the band, have a listen to “Desire,” a foot-stomping track that has everything you’d expect from the monumental Everything Everything.

 

Trial Track: “Desire”

9/10

 

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Music

A beginner’s guide to video game music

Graphics by ZeZé Le Lin

Chronicling an evolution, from primitive to a seminal artform

Video games and music complement each other harmoniously. Many people have specific memories associated with the music that plays during a particular video game level, especially if it was a more difficult one. With each new generation of video game systems, sound chips, sampling fidelity and storage capabilities have influenced the sounds and textures that can be produced in a game.

Originally, video games had no music. Games like Pong (1972), Space Invaders (1978) and Breakout (1976), only had sound effects. According to a Gamespot article chronicling the history of video game music, Donkey Kong (1981) is one of the earliest examples of music in games. In 1983, with the release of the Famicom — known as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in North America — video game music started to develop its own style. The opening minutes of Super Mario Bros. are iconic, partly due to the chip-tune music composed by Japan’s Koji Kondo. Many classic Nintendo games owe their sound to Kondo, including The Legend of Zelda (1986) and Punch-Out!! (1984).

My favorite tracks from that era are DuckTales’ “The Moon Theme,” composed in 1989 by Jake Kaufman, and Mega Man 3’s “Intro,” which was composed in 1990 by Harumi Fujita. Both tracks pushed the capability of the NES’s sound chip — which controls the way game systems output sound — to produce dynamic music that was melodic and atmospheric.

Competition was brewing as the 90s approached. Sega released a gaming system called Genesis in 1989, at the tailend of the NES’s popularity. The Genesis’ sound chip, the Yamaha YM2612, produced crunchy and grungy sounds, and gave composers more tools to work with. Sega’s whole aesthetic during that era was more “cool” and “punk,” and the music produced on the Genesis helped them achieve an edgier aesthetic.

Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) was the game, many fans will agree, that defined the Genesis and Sega — it was all about coolness, speed and amazing music. Even Sonic’s design took inspiration from the fashion sensibilities of Michael Jackson, particularly the buckles on Sonic’s shoes. Each level featured the rad compositions of Masato Nakamura, who had a background in Japan’s rock scene. Sonic’s soundtrack played a huge role in conveying the style the developers were going for. The dreamy bells and funky bassline of “Star Light Zone” make it a highlight from the soundtrack.

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), or Super Famicom in other parts of the world, was released that same year. Nintendo tried to distinguish the SNES from other competitors; music played an important role. While Sega was all about attitude, Nintendo was more like 90s Disney — family friendly, yet experimental. The SNES’s sound chip (S-SMP) had a cleaner, crisper sound and better sampling capabilities. Amazing soundscapes were composed on the S-SMP. David Wise’s compositions for Donkey Kong Country (1994) were ambient and atmospheric, utilizing the sound chip to produce uniquely ambient and melodic music. “Aquatic Ambiance” is one of my favorite tracks from the game. Other games around that time, like Chrono Trigger (1995), Super Metroid (1994) and F-Zero (1990), ambitiously used music to convey grandeur, isolation and speed.

The later half of the 90s was all about 3D graphics and CD roms. Sony entered the market with the Playstation, a console that could fully render 3D objects. Therefore, it needed more storage. In order to store all the data, the system used CD roms. This allowed games to have better sounding instrumentation and the ability to use real instruments. Games started to become more cinematic in this era.

Games like Suikoden II (1998) showed off the newly available possibilities of CD technology. Tracks from the game, like “Reminiscence,” feature an orchestral sound that wouldn’t have been possible before. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997) has one of my favorite soundtracks of the Playstation era. Composed by Michiru Yamane, the music stands out because of its unique gothic-rock sound.

Meanwhile, with the release of the Nintendo 64 in 1996, Nintendo decided to stick with cartridge technology. Although this decision caused some problems for the company — game developers preferred CD technology — some great music was made on the 64. The soundtracks for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998) and Majora’s Mask (2000), composed by longtime Nintendo composer Kondo, have both become iconic.

Since the release of the Playstation, the trend has shifted to create more cinematic soundtracks. The Metal Gear Solid franchise even hired film composer Harry Gregson-Williams to compose soundtracks for several games. Now, soundtracks are more reactive to gameplay, changing according to the actions of the player. Nier Automata (2017) recently used an adaptive soundtrack, crafting dynamic action sequences that add and remove sound layers as the player fights a variety of enemies.

Despite technological evolution and changing industry trends, unforgettable music has always been produced by the video game industry — music that has been enmeshed in our memories. Just like the timeless games it soundtracks, video game music has so much more to explore.

Graphics by ZeZé Le Lin

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Music Quickspins

Grizzly Bear – Painted Ruins (RCA Records, 2017)

Grizzly Bear’s new album, Painted Ruins, is an airy and ambient journey. Five years since their last album, the band comes back with impeccable production, clean instrumentation and grand vocal performances. The group has constructed an amazing sounding album. “Four Cypresses” features tight drumming, chill guitar riffs, swelling synth sounds and strings. Despite that, the band’s blend of electronic and organic instrumentation sounds like something Beck has done before. The group’s grandiose-sounding vocal performances complement the descriptive yet ambiguous lyrics. The lyrics provide a neat sense of mystery, such as, “Eyes on the lost sons trained in the tricks of the world / Fathers and keepers packed in that crowded room,” from the track “Glass Hillside.” Painted Ruins channels the feeling of walking in a grassy field on a breezy morning with clear blue skies above.

 

Trial Track: “Glass Hillside”

9/10

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Music Quickspins

Queens of the Stone Age – Villains

Alternative rock band Queens of the Stone Age collaborated with pop producer Mark Ronson for their newest album, Villains. The product of this collaboration is a new sound for the group — an energetic, stylistically consistent and synth-heavy album. Tracks like “Fortress” and “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now” feature groovy synth leads reminiscent of John Carpenter’s sound. Most of the lyrics seem cliché though, like this line, “With one quick twist, love turns to scar,” from the song “Hideaway.” Josh Homme’s lead vocals are hit or miss. “Un-Born Again” has one of the stronger vocal melodies, akin to Rob Zombie’s “Dragula.” The track “Domesticated Animals,” on the other hand, features a strange, almost baroque vocal performance. The neon-tinged pop sounds and fun hooks of this album pair especially well with the hard rock sound of the band’s earlier albums. Also, the cover art has a rad, sinister vibe. It’s awesome.

Trial Track: “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now”

7.5/10

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Music

Best albums of the summer

Graphics by ZeZé Le Lin

The summer heat has reached peak levels, but these albums can withstand the warmth. Here are the best albums released this summer

Elder – Reflections of a Floating World (Armageddon Record Shop)

On Reflections of a Floating World, Boston stoner metal outfit Elder encompasses cinematic grandiosity with a tightly-wound, six-song barrage. The result is an album which encapsulates boundless creativity through a refined sense of mood and composition.

Opening tracks “Sanctuary” and “The Falling Veil” counteract bullet-proof guitar riffs with ethereal post-rock fingerpicking. The sounds that echo throughout the album transport listeners to sonic realms where nothing is familiar, but the surrounding environment nonetheless begs observation.

SZA – Ctrl (Top Dawg Entertainment)

SZA’s remarkable second outing with Top Dawg Entertainment shines like a beam from heaven. At its core, Ctrl is an R&B album. Upon closer listening, however, subtle embellishments are revealed that draw nods from all genres of music. Tinges of neo soul and guitar pop permeate these tracks about love and loss. Sonically, the album channels a pristine quality of its own, but really, it’s SZA’s disarming and ever-confident vocals that take centre stage.

Billy Woods – Known Unknowns (Backwoodz Studioz)

Known Unknowns is a bleak exploration of the black American experience. A New York native, Billy Woods’s strident honesty regarding the history of grief in black America is akin to Kendrick Lamar’s masterful To Pimp A Butterfly. But whereas the latter album relies on empathy, the unmitigated expressionism of Known Unknowns feels strikingly tangible. For Woods, it’s not enough for the listener to experience his anguish. He wants you to feel dejection. The album plays into the fact that every generation of artists in every medium tries to be more authentic than the artists before them. And in hip hop, that loosely translates into whose experiences hold more validity and weight. This, in addition to the rhythmic staccato Woods raps with, results in a brutally sincere and accomplished album.

DJ Sports – Modern Species (Firecracker)

Modern Species is a hotchpotch of enigmatic sounds coupled with a devout reverence for 90s house music. What really ties these influences together, though, is the laser-sharp production savvy of Milán Zaks and his brother, Central. Don’t be fooled — Modern Species is more than just a charming throwback. The album harnesses familiar motifs, but its tracks are executed with a varied sonic palette that combines equal parts from the past and not-so-distant future. These guys are tinkering their fingers to the proverbial bone.

Fleet Foxes – Crack-Up­ (Nonesuch Records Inc.)

After a six-year hiatus, Fleet Foxes return with its most ambitious statement yet. Crack-Up is equal parts challenging and engrossing, but still serves as a welcome addition to the Fleet Foxes canon. The album delves into experimental territory by way of long-winding guitar noodling that usually finishes with a lofty crescendo. Sure, these moments are pretentious, but the Seattle band tackles this messy splendor with natural finesse. This is thanks to the album’s sprawling instrumentation, which is beefed up by gorgeously ornate strings and woodwinds. Yet, despite all its over-inflated moments, Crack-Up manages to establish a newfound artistic maturity in Fleet Foxes.

 

Vince Staples – Big Fish Theory (Def Jam Recordings)

Synthesizing U.K. electronic textures with his singular rap flow, Vince Staples’ triumphant Big Fish Theory chronicles the ennui that comes with transcending amateur status — specifically in the rap game. Enlisting the warped stylings of producers Sophie and Flume, as well as feature spots from Juicy J and Kendrick Lamar, Big Fish Theory just goes to show that Vince Staples is the most hopeful nihilist working in the industry.

Laurel Halo – Dust (Hyperdub)

Laurel Halo’s Dust defies classification but distills her diverse gamut of influences with seamless precision. While her electro-centric sound remains intact, there’s a free-for-all attitude to Dust that feels completely organic. Dexterous-free jazz freakouts and funk instrumentation intermingle on these tracks like peanut butter and jelly. Halo’s electronic flourishes still manage to navigate the album with ease, which really come through in the album’s production.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Murder of the Universe (ATO Records)

Murder of the Universe is a concept album divided into three epics. Each story is tied together by an idiosyncratic narrative that’s read aloud by a lethal female cyborg. The album’s fried-out progressive rock aesthetic is augmented by the raw and disjointed psych-rock King Gizz is known for.

Jay-Z – 4:44 (ROC Nation LLC)

Jay-Z’s 13th studio album reads like a comprehensive confession. In 2016, Jay-Z’s wife Beyoncé released her breakthrough masterwork, Lemonade. In a lot of ways, 4:44 is a response to Lemonade. On it, Jay-Z laments his personal faults while addressing intergenerational friction in modern hip hop. The album draws its power from Jay-Z’s dissatisfaction with the artificiality of mainstream rappers. It’s an intensely personal effort, but at the same time, the artist’s bars feel like anecdotes finding redemption in vulnerability. 4:44 is very much an ode to marital fidelity, but Jay-Z doesn’t leave room for listeners to scrutinize his mistakes. He already did it for us.

Broken Social Scene – Hug Of Thunder (Arts & Crafts)

On Broken Social Scene’s first album in seven years, the band condenses their best attributes into a titan-sized album. Hug Of Thunder, like its name implies, is replete with infectious hooks and sparkling neon synths. It’s a surprisingly solid effort, especially for a band that hit its stride in the midst of the early 2000s indie wars between contemporaries such as Arcade Fire and Interpol. The album bleeds confidence and is bulletproof indie pop at its best. I guess you have to reinvent the wheel every once in a while to find new artistic essence.

Graphics by ZeZé Le Lin

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