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Music Quickspins

Protomartyr – Relatives in Descent

Protomartyr – Relatives in Descent (Domino, 2017)

Protomartyr has returned with yet another darkly melodic and post-punk sensible album. Relatives in Descent rings with the same dark moodiness as Joy Division and The Cure, but manages to sound incredibly modern. Unfortunately, this blend of influences comes at the expense of the album’s quality, which sounds all too similar to the band’s previous releases. Despite that, Protomartyr still knows how to write a mean hook, capturing brooding melancholy with a confrontational and muscular sound. Relatives in Descent pulls its power from familiarity. Protomartyr has built a prominent career on throwback post-punk sounds. It’s a shame, then, that the antiquated sounds the band pulls its influence from may contribute to its eventual downfall. Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with a throwback album, but it needs a bit of variety to retain the listener’s attention.

6.5/10

Trial Track: “A Private Understanding”

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Music Quickspins

Lil Pump – Lil Pump

Lil Pump – Lil Pump (Warner Bros., 2017)

South Florida trap rapper Lil Pump has made quite a name for himself over the last few months. His signature short, minute-and-a-half-long songs comprised of nothing but a three-word hook and distorted bass have captured the attention of rap fans and hypebeasts alike. With singles like “D Rose” and “Flex Like Ouu” under his belt, Lil Pump is finally here with his debut mixtape. Let’s just say, if you’ve heard one Lil Pump song, you’ve heard them all. In fact, if you’ve heard 15 seconds of a song, you know his entire catalogue. Lil Pump does little to switch up his flow or the beats he raps over. Even the tape’s features, which include names like Lil Yachty and 2 Chainz, are uninspired. But if I have to say something positive, this mixtape is catchy as hell. The simplistic hooks lend themselves well to singing along and, while not diverse, the beats slap.

Trial Track: “Gucci Gang”

Score: Esketit/10

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Music Quickspins

Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me

Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me (Island, 2017)

Demi Lovato’s sixth studio album, Tell Me You Love Me, delivers all of what we expect from the 25-year-old pop-princess: captivating, powerhouse vocals laced with soulful spunk strewed across 12 R&B-inspired tracks. Contrary to Lovato’s fifth album, Confident, this LP falls flat with the lack of booming, energetic tracks. They’ve been substituted with slow, entrancing beats, such as “Lonely” and “Only Forever.” The second half of the album features mostly laidback, deep-cutting ballads, such as “Concentrate” and “Hitchhiker.” Nevertheless, Tell Me You Love Me will have you snapping your fingers and bobbing your head along to the music, whether it’s to the fast-paced, unapologetic “Sorry Not Sorry” or the emotionally-charged melodies of “Only Forever.”

Trial Track: “Tell Me You Love Me”

8.2/10

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Music Quickspins

Wolf Alice – Visions of a Life

Wolf Alice – Visions of a Life (Dirty Hit, 2017)

Wolf Alice’s second album, Visions of a Life, is a bold, brave and brilliant effort. The Brit rockers have made a record so jaw-droppingly advanced that it is definitively a potential contender for album of the year. Following their 2015 debut, My Love is Cool, the group’s sophomore album is an effortless extension of their sound. The musicality displayed in each song has just the right combination of intricacy and immediacy. Wolf Alice grip onto their dirtier, nastier roots on “Yuk Foo” and “Formidable Cool.” Guitarist Joff Oddie’s riffage is tumbling and sleazy, while singer Ellie Rowsell savagely howls: “That’s all he fucking did when he fucked you on the floor!” Elevating the record from its grunge roots, “Don’t Delete the Kisses” is a standout track. The song, with its cinematic grace, is becoming an instant modern classic. With Visions of a Life, Wolf Alice have removed any doubt of their status in the UK music scene.

Trial Track: “Space & Time”

9/10

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Music Quickspins

Shannon Lay – Living Water

Shannon Lay – Living Water (2017, Woodsist/Mare)

Continuing the tradition of post-hippie era folkies, who scrapped the free love sentiment of the 60s for a more pastoral and sentimental sound, L.A-based Shannon Lay can be spoken about in the same breath as icons of the genre. Her newest record, Living Water, is a testament to this sound. Brimming with gentle nostalgia and heartbreak, Living Water is tenderly personal and possesses an unimaginable beauty. The wispy vocals, gently fingerpicked guitar and occasional waves of violin come together serenely to paint the blue and green of the American West Coast, a picturesque region near and dear to the orange-haired Lay. Her use of strange, abstract lyrics adds an extra layer of mysticism to her already otherworldly music, rendering it effortlessly timeless. This LP will surely cement her in folklore alongside the likes of Sibylle Baier and Vashti Bunyan.

10/10

Trial Track: “The Moons Detriment”

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Music Quickspins

Young Thug & Carnage – Young Martha

Young Thug & Carnage – Young Martha (2017, YSL/Heavyweight)

On Young Martha, Young Thug and producer Carnage bring out the best in each other—embracing their respective idiosyncrasies with dynamic performances and lean-soaked instrumentals. Young Martha largely serves to expand Thug’s  extensive range. In it, he stretches the reaches of his prolific palette, while at the same time, testing some new sonic ground. The elastic synths on “10,000 Slimes” see Thug adjusting the cadence of his staccato flow in real time, hitting vocal inflections that feel sporadic yet precise. Sonically, Young Martha is sheer ear-candy, but the writing draws from the same absurd wordplay Thug has adopted over the last five years. Carnage has relayed that Young Martha will be a series, much in the same vein of Thug’s Slime Season trilogy, culminating in a collaborative album. While not the most striking combination of songs in Thug’s repertoire, if Young Martha is any indication, it’s clear his track record is just winding up.

8.3/10

Trial Track: “Liger”

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Quickspins

Anna of the North – Lovers

Anna of the North – Lovers (Different Recordings, 2017)

On Anna Lotterud’s debut album, Lovers, she harkens back to an era of pop music she couldn’t possibly remember, given her young age. Still, the singer’s acute admiration for the genre allows her to form her own chapter in its history. The soft sounds from the soul-bearing, electro-pop singer-songwriter emanate a nostalgia of the 80s and 90s that has been badly reproduced as of late. Nothing on Lovers truly disappoints or feels out of place. “Baby” is haunting and simple, setting the record up perfectly. The soft sounds and synth pleasure of this unmissable debut offers just enough for Ibiza-ready remixes, successfully bringing the 80s to 2017. “Someone” is the track to focus on, combining the disco melody of Boy Meets Girl’s “Waiting for a Star to Fall” and the drum beats of what could be an M83 track. It perfectly marries the two and gives a glimpse at Lotterud’s artistry.

Trial Track: “Someone”

8/10

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Music Quickspins

Nothing But Thieves – Broken Machine

Nothing But Thieves – Broken Machine (RCA Records, 2017)

Modern society, mental health and the ever-growing navigation of the political landscape blend together in this outstanding second album from Nothing But Thieves. As a huge fan of this band, my expectations were high for their second record. Their newest album, Broken Machine, exceeded my expectations. Having already heard an eclectic mix of early-released tracks, from the head-pounding “Amsterdam” to the sorrow-filled vocals of “Sorry,” I was sold. The record is filled with political contempt and thoughts preoccupying restless minds. The vocals are raw, and with every performance, the band wears their hearts on their sleeve. The album is filled with a career-defining soul. Instant classic “Particles,” explores the many wonders of Conor Mason’s voice, only to be sent into a whirlwind with the closing tracks “Get Better” and “Number 13.” The album flows effortlessly and only edges Nothing But Thieves closer to world domination with their passionate guitar-based rock.

Trial Track: “Particles”

9.5/10

 

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Quickspins

Brockhampton – Saturation II

Brockhampton – Saturation II (Empire, 2017)

Earlier this year, rap collective Brockhampton dropped, in my opinion, one of the best hip-hop projects of the year, Saturation. A few months later, the group, led by Kevin Abstract, is back with another set of songs that range from grimey bangers to R&B slow jams. Songs like “SUMMER” offer a softer side to the tracklist, with beautiful vocals and smooth production. All the while, songs like “JUNKY” show off a more braggadocious side to the group’s members. The beat is strong and heavy, while the lyrics hit you like a sledgehammer. Compared to Saturation, Saturation II has better R&B tunes, but the bangers don’t hit as hard as I would have hoped. Nonetheless, Saturation II just goes to show how much range this group has. With these two albums, Brockhampton have established themselves as the best rap collective out right now.

Trial Track: “JUNKY”

Score: 8.5/10

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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 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 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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