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QUICKSPINS: FKA twigs – MAGDALENE

FKA twigs - Magdalene

FKA twigs creates world-class pop music on MAGDALENE

MAGDALENE comes four years since twigs’ first full-length release, LP1. While LP1 introduced twigs as an innovative artist to follow, MAGDALENE cements her as one of the most creative voices of modern pop music.

As is evident from the record’s title, MAGDALENE is steeped in Christian references. The juxtaposition of religious symbolism and sexuality can often be used as a cheap ploy for subversiveness in pop songwriting. Yet, because twigs brings the Christian elements both into the lyrics (as on “Mary Magdalene”) and into the orchestration (as with the choral singing on “Thousand Eyes”), this combination makes complete sense.

Despite the R&B sensuality that flows through this record, it is also deeply pained. To say MAGDALENE is a breakup album might be a bit reductive. Yet, many of the tracks deal with twigs coming to terms with who she could be outside of a broken relationship.

MAGDALENE is a tortured, spiritual manifesto for pop music’s future, and you can expect to hear its influence in countless albums to come.

9.5/10 

Trial Track: “Home With You”

Star Bar:
“I’m a fallen alien
I never thought that you would be the one to tie me down
But you did
In this age of Satan
I’m searching for a light to take me home and guide me out” (Twigs on “Fallen Alien”)

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Music Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: G-Eazy – Scary Nights EP

The Bay Area native is back with his second EP of the year with the release of Scary Nights just in time for Halloween

Admittedly, the tracks fall flat upon the first listen but do get catchier over time. Many of the tracks have quick tempos that push G-Eazy out of his element, probably for the worse. He always sounds better on slower songs reminiscent of his earlier work like the samples on The Endless Summer. This makes “Demons & Angels (feat. Miguel & The Game)” one of the strongest songs off the project.

Despite only being eight songs long, Scary Nights also has eight guest features. Sadly, none of them are too memorable and don’t better the project by any means – except perhaps for an unexpected appearance by The Game. All in all, this EP definitely won’t add any accolades to G-Eazy’s discography and instead could have been shelved, perhaps saving a few of the better songs for a future full-length album.

Rating: 5/10

Trial Track: “Hittin Licks”

Star Bar: “Used to have no options, I can’t pick or choose / Two yellow Lambos look like Pikachus” – from “Scary Nights”

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Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: Mac Miller – Swimming

Artist: Mac Miller

Album: Swimming

Label: Warner Bros. Records

 

In early August 2018, one month before his untimely passing, Mac Miller released his fifth studio album, Swimming. Almost two years since his previous release, Miller returned with his most complete body of work. His last major release, The Divine Feminine, painted a picture of Miller in love and happier than ever. In stark contrast, Swimming is Miller at his loneliest, most troubled, and introspective.

This album delves deeply into his mental state, substance abuse problems and heartbreak, while highlighting the anguish that follows. His reflection on these experiences comes across as wise and extremely self-aware, sounding like a man at peace with his reality. Even in its lighter moments, such as with the funk-infused, Thundercat-assisted jam “What’s the Use?,” Miller is still dealing with his demons. At its darkest, Swimming tells the tale of a man wounded, drowning in a sea of self-doubt, self-meditation and self-medication.

The album’s strongest moment, “2009,” is gorgeous, starting off with a swell of violins that lead into a beautiful piano loop. Lyrically, Miller reflects on his career and his journey, from his breakout mixtape, to 2018. Miller’s career was one to behold. From stoner-friendly frat rapper to one of the most diverse and talented people in hip hop, his growth was astounding. With every release, he got better and better. Swimming is Mac Miller’s best album and one of the best albums of 2018.

Rating: 9.5/10

Trial Track: “2009”

Star Bar: “You gotta jump in to swim

Well, the light was dim in this life of sin

Now every day I wake up and breathe

I don’t have it all but that’s alright with me”

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Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: Meek Mill – Championships

Artist: Meek Mill

Album: Championships

Label: Atlantic Records

 

Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill, who recently made headlines for his issues with the law, uses his fourth studio album Championships as a public service announcement to the world. In the lengthy, 19-track project, Mill outlines the discrimination of the justice system against minorities in the United States, as well as the struggles and limitations faced by those in communities of lower socioeconomic status.

In “Intro,” the Philly artist sets the precedent, gradually gaining intensity over a nostalgic, creative sample of Phil Collins’s “In the Air Tonight”. He discusses the complex life of trials and tribulations he faced as a youth in the rough neighbourhood of North Philadelphia.

With a long list of notable features including Drake, Cardi B and Kodak Black, the project’s songs cover a wide array of themes. Mill discusses his relationships with different women on softer, more sensual tracks like “24/7,” featuring up-and-coming British R&B singer Ella Mai. He completely switches gears on tracks like “Uptown Vibes,” which features veteran rapper Fabolous and Reggaeton artist Anuel AA over a triumphant, horn-heavy trap instrumental. Mill clearly attempted to please all kinds of fans with versatile songs throughout the album.

It was Mill’s recent controversial convictions on an unrelated probation sentencing that occurred over 10 years ago that sparked his activism. He has vowed to bring injustice towards minorities in America to light, and Championships is the most recent proof of his work for the greater good.

8.5/10

Trial Track: “Oodles O’ Noodles Babies”

Star Bar: “Victim to the system like a raindrop in the ocean

They closin’ all the schools and all the prisons gettin’ open” (from the track “Championships”)

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Music Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: Troy Sivan – Bloom

Troye Sivan’s second opus, Bloom, retains some of the heartfelt, boyish charm of Blue Neighbourhood that won over fans back in 2015. Songs like ‘“The Good Side” or “Postcard” are tinged with nostalgia, juxtaposed over a quiet piano melody or an acoustic guitar strum. The album’s real strength, however, resides in the more mature numbers on the tracklist. “Bloom” and “Lucky Strike”, amongst others, are drenched in upbeat, bass-driven synthpop influences, paired with daring and sensual lyrics, making for an addicting and catchy result. Nonetheless, the variety both in sound and in writing doesn’t change the fact that the album offers an incredible amount of honesty in its lyrics through each song. Bloom is a collection of love stories—some that work out, some that don’t—but most of all, Bloom is an apparent, impeccable product of Troye Sivan’s growth, both as a man and as an artist.

 

Trial track: “Lucky Strike”

 

8.5/10

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Music Quickspins

Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour

Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour (MCA Nashville)

Kacey Musgraves has perfected the art of the country-pop crossover. Golden Hour creates its own grandiosity on its own terms. Its 13 tracks are delicate and inviting, but contain a powerfully cathartic ethos that can’t be replicated. Musgraves takes aim at topics that are relatable and powerfully approachable. On “High Horse” the singer digs deep into the wounds left behind by an ex-lover who’s too cool to show weakness. On “Lonely Weekend,” she tackles the pain of being single when you’re supposed to be having fun. The songs here are remarkably intimate, thanks in part to the accessibility of Musgraves’s performances. She doesn’t overwhelm, instead she pursues these tracks with the earnestness of a woman wise beyond her years.

Rating: 8.8/10

Trial Track: “High Horse”

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Music Quickspins

A.A.L. – 2012-2017

A.A.L. – 2012-2017 (Other People)

Nicolas Jaar’s latest release under A.A.L. is a remarkably complex and deftly produced album of house and electro-funk with enough soul for the dancefloor and enough sleekness for the club. 2012-2017 is an album that’s unattached from the passage of time; its timeless songs breathe new life into sample heavy electronica music. Jaar doesn’t hold back, delving deep into a instrumental palette of snares, high-hats and piano loops. The rest of the album’s space is filled to the gills with excellent production work. Jaar is tinkering his fingers to the proverbial bone. There’s a familiarity to 2012-2017 that engages equally with genres of the past and present. But the final product is woven so effortlessly that you can’t help but get lost in its ageless appeal.

Rating: 8.9/10

Trial Track: “I Never Dream”

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Music Quickspins

Rich the Kid – The World Is Yours

Rich the Kid – The World Is Yours  (Interscope Records, 2018)

Rich the Kid’s debut album, The World Is Yours, is exactly what you would expect from the New York/Atlanta rapper. Considered the fourth Migos by some, Rich the Kid borrows heavily from his contemporaries, using dark uptempo trap beats, a triplet flow and dramatic ad libs. However, one thing that sets Rich the Kid apart is his ability to actually rap, which he only puts on full display during the album’s final track, “Dead Friends.” At 14 tracks and 46 minutes long, The World Is Yours doesn’t overstay its welcome. However, Rich the Kid does very little to keep the listener’s attention for that long. Many of the songs blend into one another, leaving the project a little one-dimensional. Songs like “Plug Walk” and “New Freezer” featuring Kendrick Lamar keep this project afloat, while some of the other features, like Quavo and Offset from Migos, are underwhelming.

Trial Track: “Plug Walk”

Score: 5.5/10

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Music Quickspins

Paris Louis – Deathcolors

Paris Louis – Deathcolors

Paris Louis, an artist I discovered through a local buying-and-selling sneaker group on Facebook, has released his debut mixtape, Deathcolors. The Montreal rapper is a breath of fresh air, not only because of his ability to craft songs and hooks but also because of his songs’ lengths. Unlike many rappers of his ilk, Paris Louis isn’t afraid to make three-and-a-half-minute-long songs, instead of following the two-minute song trend SoundCloud has cultivated. This allows each track to be a more satisfying listen, with more room for verses and sustained hooks. Paris Louis’s sound blends those of Travis Scott and Jay Critch, while maintaining his own unique vocals. All seven songs on this tape are catchy and feature moody, attention-keeping trap beats. With this tape, Paris Louis proves himself to be an artist to watch out for in the years to come.

Trial Track: “Apt 200”

Score: 9/10

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Music Quickspins

The Neighbourhood – The Neighbourhood

The Neighbourhood – The Neighbourhood (Columbia, 2018)

The self-titled album of California indie rock band The Neighbourhood is a mess. The album is a mix of angesty lyrics, dark beats and strange vocal performances by lead singer Jesse Rutherford. While some of the instrumentation is pleasant, like the 80s bells on the song “Void,” the vocals are unbearable. The lyrics are basically comprised of clichéd rhymes and simple platitudes. The lyrics on “Softcore” made me cringe: “I’ve been confused as of late (yeah) / Watching my youth slip away (yeah) / You’re like the sun, you make me young.” The vocals are processed and the melody is uninspiring. This album is a unexceptional collection of songs that are competently made, and although sometimes pleasant, not worth your time.

Trial track: “Void”

Rating: 3.7/10

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Music Quickspins

Mount Eerie – Now Only

Mount Eerie – Now Only (P.W. Elverum & Sun, 2018)

Phil Elverum, who performs under the moniker Mount Eerie, sings with an incredible sadness and self-reflection on Now Only. Like his last album, A Crow Looked at Me , Elverum reflects on life after his wife’s death on this newest album. Elverum’s soft, melancholic voice is accompanied by minimalistic guitars, sparse drums and the occasional distorted instruments. The songs are just as emotional as when he performed them live last year in Montreal. People were crying during every song, and I was struck by the honest in Elverum’s lyrics—it’s like reading someone’s diary and understanding how they truly feel. On the titular song, Elverum reflects on how touring has affected him personally, singing: “As my grief becomes calcified, frozen in stories / And in these songs I keep singing, numbing it down.” Elverum has come out with another special and emotionally challenging album. Highly recommended.

Trial track: “Now Only”

Rating: 9.5/10

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Music Quickspins

Lil Yachty – Lil Boat 2

Lil Yachty – Lil Boat 2 (Quality Control)

Lil Yachty’s latest mixtape is a sequel to his debut mixtape, Lil Boat. The original Lil Boat featured the autotuned crooner switching between two personas: Lil Yachty and Lil Boat. Yachty is the sensitive singing artist, while Boat focused more on rapping and was more aggressive. Lil Boat 2 deviates from this formula with more of the Boat persona shining through. On the majority of the 18 tracks, Yachty trades in bubbly beats for more ominous and cavernous trap production. His rapping has come a long way since the Lil Boat tape, with the flows being more pronounced and hard-hitting. Songs like “She Ready” and “Love Me Forever” are examples of when Yachty goes for a singing approach, but it works. Not to mention songs like “BOOM!” and “66” are certified bangers. This project’s big weak spot is its length, with over half the songs running too short and too generic.

Trial Track: “BOOM!” ft. Ugly God

Score: 6/10

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