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Music Quickspins

Margo Price – All American Made

Margo Price – All American Made (Third Man Records, 2017)

Country singer-songwriter Margo Price has returned with a valiant second album, All American Made. The instrumentation is tight, featuring crisp guitar and classic fiddle. Yet the album never tries to get experimental or inventive with the country template, which was a bit disappointing. However, the lyrics are progressive and descriptive. In “Pay Gap,” Price sings about institutional sexism and the gender wage gap. Country music does an impeccable job with direct and descriptive lyrics; Price dives straight into the issues, holding nothing back. On the title track, she paints a bleak image of America. Price seems to have genuine concern in her voice. The image of driving through America, seeing the rust and decay of the small towns, resonated with me to a surprising degree.

Sample track: “All American Made”

Rating: 8.2/10

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Music Quickspins

21 Savage / Offset / Metro Boomin’ – Without Warning

21 Savage / Offset / Metro Boomin’ – Without Warning (Slaughter Gang, 2017)

Like the title suggests, the latest 21 Savage and Offset collaboration, completely produced by Metro Boomin’, dropped without warning on Halloween. From the opening track, “Ghostface Killers,” we get Metro Boomin’s signature dark, moody sound, while 21 Savage and Offset effortlessly flow over the beat. The album lives up to its Halloween release with eerie tracks, like “Nightmare” and “Ric Flair Drip,” that showcase why Offset might actually be the most talented member in Migos. The first five tracks are exciting and catchy, however, the second half of the album takes a more laid-back approach. By track six, “Mad Stalkers,” the novelty of the collaboration wears off until track 10. However, this is an incredibly tight album, with catchy flows and world-class production from one of the best young producers in the game. If you’re a fan of any of these artists, the album is a must-listen.

Trial Track: “Ghostface Killers” ft. Travi$ Scott

Score: 7.5/10

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Music Quickspins

Big K.R.I.T. – 4eva Is A Mighty Long Time

Big K.R.I.T. – 4eva Is A Mighty Long Time (Multi Alumni, 2017)

Mississippi rapper Big K.R.I.T.’s new album, 4eva Is A Might Long Time, is one of the most soulful and lavishly produced rap albums of the year. At 22 tracks, the album is split into two disc. Disc one is filled with southern bangers, like “Big Bank” featuring T.I. and the song “Subenstein.” Each track is executed with meticulous detail. The live instrumentation enhances each track, as K.R.I.T.’s buttery smooth flow complements the string instrumentals. While the trend in southern rap has been edging towards trap music, K.R.I.T. resists this temptation by bringing clever and introspective lyrics to the table. Despite the album’s long runtime, listening doesn’t feel like a chore. Every song feels like K.R.I.T. put his heart and soul into it. 4eva Is A Mighty Long Time is a rap epic that feels like fine dining in a genre full of fast food.

Trial Track: “Subenstein (My Sub IV)”

Score: 9.5/10

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Music Quickspins

Julien Baker – Turn Out the Lights

Julien Baker – Turn Out the Lights (Matador, 2017)

On Turn Out the Lights, Julien Baker’s second record, she is immensely vulnerable. The album sounds like an open diary, detailing her battles with mental illness, unsettled relationships and waning optimism about the future. While her first project, Sprained Ankle, seemed reluctant at times, the ballads on Turn Out the Lights are defiant and confident. Baker’s voice glides over spacious, piano-driven instrumentals. Her music references her Christianity, without limiting her to a strictly Christian audience. Baker hides pockets of happiness in an album defined by its haunting vocals and melodies. “Sour Breath” is open about alcoholism and loneliness, while on “Hurt Less,” she is candid about her relationship with self-care. Baker is honest and unapologetic over these arrangements, which truly allows her story to flourish.

Trial Track: “Shadowboxing”

Score: 9.1/10

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Music Quickspins

Future and Young Thug – Super Slimey

Future and Young Thug  – Super Slimey (Epic, 2017)

Future and Young Thug’s collaborative mixtape, Super Slimey, is exactly what you would expect from trap music’s two most notorious rappers. Unlike his joint album with Drake, Future has found an artist he can flow with, as he and Young Thug possess a chemistry that only groups like Migos have. Future and Young Thug are pioneers when it comes to rap flow, and the way they trade verses over the album’s nocturnal yet fast-paced beats make it a must-listen for all rap fans. The melodies that project from their voices make each song sound unique and different, unlike many albums in the trap genre. Songs like “No Cap, Three” and “Patek Water” featuring Offset are certifiable bangers and standouts on the album. Super Slimey just goes to show how versatile Thugger and Future really are, cementing them as the two best artists in their lane.

Score: 8.8/10

Trial Track: “Three”

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Music Quickspins

Standing on the Corner – Red Burns

Standing on the Corner – Red Burns (Self-Released, 2017)

Standing on the Corner is a jazz-infused collaboration between two New York City natives, Gio Escobar and Jasper Marsalis. Their latest effort, Red Burns, listens like a collection of snapshots, with Escobar and Marsalis navigating the desolate slums and alleys of New York through hip-hop instrumentals tempered by a healthy appreciation for jazz. The urban sounds of New York echo throughout the album like clockwork. Red Burns contains collagey sound snippets weaved together into a free-flowing narrative consisting of five songs, titled “nate sees the storm,” “red burns comin!,” “cleb sees the storm!,” “what about the planet?” and “the devil Meets Red Burns.” Across Red Burns’ hour, you can hear Standing on the Corner writing an impassioned love letter to the city that raised them, with a dichotomy of hope and despondence driving them forward.

Rating: 7.5/10

Trial Track: “Sellin Soap”

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Music Quickspins

Hayley Kiyoko – “Feelings”

Hayley Kiyoko – “Feelings” (Empire, 2017)

“Feelings” puts into words the universally tender, yet terrifying feelings, of love rushing into our heads. This single is a new chapter in Hayley Kiyoko’s musical history. The singer, known for affirming her raw emotions and sexuality on dreamy pop sounds tinted with a progressive rock background, remains integral to her style. Kiyoko uses blunt changes of tempo, from energizing synthesizer to heavy bass riffs, to emphasize the tumultuous conflict raging inside her. This same conflict is found lyrically, as she apologizes for “feeling too much, saying too much,” when she should be “tough” or “like ice.” She asserts her desires by wishing for casual touch and steamy nights. Kiyoko provides an anthem to the excitement love brings, brushing aside the societal expectations of holding back one’s emotions. The song’s music video, directed by Kiyoko, was released the same day as the single. It highlights the same conflict as the song, using the fluidity of dance and warm-to-cold lighting to show the changes of tempo. “Feelings” is a light song with an important message, yet its instrumentals can easily become obnoxious.

Rating: 8.0/10

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Music Quickspins

King Krule – The OOZ

King Krule – The OOZ (True Panther, 2017)

Archy Marshall has released his second album under the moniker King Krule, revealing his maturation as a musician and producer. Marshall melds elements of jazz, punk, dark wave and trip hop together into an immersive and isolating soundscape. The OOZ ricochets from murmuring streams of consciousness and jazzy hooks to howling vocals and grimy punk riffs, all of which are most prominent in the dark “Dum Surfer.” King Krule has crafted a more polished and brooding sound with this new project, though the album’s lengthy tracklist of 19 songs is a bit self-indulgent. A few tracks enter into repetitive, sleepy jazz noodling without much variation in between. Marshall seems acquainted with and self-aware of his darkness, and when successful, the lingering soundscapes replicate both the mundaneness and dissociation of isolation. The OOZ is a hypnotic soundscape of an idiosyncratic psyche worth diving into, if patient enough for its track length.

7.5/10
Trial track: “Dum Surfer”

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Music Quickspins

Kelela – Take Me Apart

Kelela – Take Me Apart (Warp)

Kelela’s stunning debut is among the most technically proficient albums of the year. She flexes her muscles in uncharted musical realms, while etching a corner in the canons of R&B and pop. The tracks on Take Me Apart survey an entire generation’s worth of club music, dipping its feet in 90s IDM all the way to sultry, new-age pop. Throughout the album, Kelela continues to display her exceptionally realized songwriting, canvassing past relationships with rhythmic, galaxy-expanding pop that cherishes but rivals its contemporaries. The singer’s vocals never strain or lose their trajectory, gradually reflecting the contours and magnetism of her range. Within the space of these tracks, Kelela’s artistic vision flourishes, showcasing a precise knack for songwriting and musicality. Ultimately, what makes Take Me Apart such a fruitful listen is its extraordinary instrumental breadth and structural variation. Just as the album reveals strong dynamics the first time around, it unearths a whole universe of possibilities with every other listen.

Rating: 8.4

Trial Track: “Frontline”

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Music Quickspins

St. Vincent – MASSEDUCTION

St. Vincent – MASSEDUCTION (Loma Vista, 2017)

St. Vincent, a.k.a. Annie Clark, has redeveloped her singular stylings in new and interesting ways on MASSEDUCTION, her most recent album. The sound of this album is new, but at the same time, retains St. Vincent’s charm. The guitars are still crunchy and percussive and her voice is as dynamic as ever, while the electronic sounds are satisfyingly punchy. “Fear The Future” has a tight electronic beat alongside St. Vincent’s strange vocal melody, which constantly fluctuates from high to low. “Smoking Section” is a slower piano ballad, but when she shifts to her falsetto, the song becomes more grandiose and emotional. My only grievance is with some of the lyrics. The lyrics of “Pills” feel kind of edgy and simultaneously attempt humour and seriousness, but I don’t think it works. Nonetheless, this album is an absolute joy.

Sample track: “Smoking Section”

Rating: 8/10

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Music Quickspins

Alvvays – Antisocialites

Alvvays – Antisocialites (Polyvinyl Records, 2017)

After incessant touring and the inescapably infectious sleeper-hit “Archie, Marry Me,” Toronto outfit Alvvays has returned with a brand new album. In it, the band establishes a more refined sound, including more studio flourishes and even brighter sonics. The sounds that resonate throughout Antisocialites explore the same formula Alvvays presented with their debut album—cute, bubblegum-pop songs mixed with a brash and loud 90s flare. Upon first listen, it’s clear Alvvays has abandoned their lo-fi leanings in exchange for squeaky clean, studio-quality recordings. This is especially evident on the album’s best track, “Plimsoll Punks.” Like that song, much of the instrumentals incorporate twangy, spacey hooks bathed in an ocean of reverb. It’s not exactly the most halting effort in the indie-rock canon, but a step in the right direction for a band still trying to find their footing.

6.8/10

Trial Track: “Plimsoll Punks”

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Music Quickspins

Walter TV – Carpe Diem

Walter TV – Carpe Diem (Sinderlyn, 2017)

Carpe Diem is the third album from Montreal-based trio Water TV. The album lives up to its name, “seizing the day,” with laid-back guitar lines and dreamy vocals throughout. “Begotten,” opens the album with timid vocals over soft strumming that builds and breaks with crashing cymbals and clapping hands, before tumbling into the high-energy second track, “Graceland.” “Spring Time” is a sunny interlude, a sonic ray of light juxtaposed beside the eerie “Laura Palmer,” a fitting reference to the crime drama series Twin Peaks. “Alaska Cruisin’” is a refreshing, upbeat moment amongst the sleepy nostalgic vibes that define the rest of the album. Where it capitalizes on warm, relaxed melodies to sustain its mellow vibe, Carpe Diem seems to lose emotional intensity in its redundancy, making for light, easy listening and not much else.

7.1/10

Trial track: “Spring Time”

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