PUTTING YOU ON THREE BY: Ian Sherry 5/22/2023 For music fans, there is no better feeling than discovering a new artist. Whether it’s a sleepless 2:00 AM deepdive, the opener that outperformed the band you actually came to see, or you decided (at risk of being lame) to finally listen to the Beatles, musical discovery is an unmatched feeling. This year has been kind to me thus far, so to celebrate I’d like to share my three favorite “underground” discoveries. In order of monthly listeners on Spotify, here are my three. They are all active artists who have lots of potential and could use your help, so if my descriptions appeal to you please check them out. Elijah Landours Technical Juggernaut 2,135 Monthly Listeners Though he has the least number of streams of these three talented artists, Elijah Landours may be the most polished. The Indianapolis rapper only has one album out on streaming services to go with several singles, yet his strengths are clear in this admittedly brief discography. Landours has a style. A groundbreaking one? No, but it’s consistent, recognizable, and entertaining. He does things in his music that many world-famous artists still fail to grasp. The first aspect of Landours’ musical repertoire is his sampling instincts. He uses them as frequently as anyone else, but he is so meaningful. A tendency of big money rap projects recently is over-sampling. It isn’t necessarily a negative, meaning an extra sample may not hurt the song. But, the purpose of introducing someone else’s work into yours is to pay homage and create a sound you wouldn’t have otherwise. That’s what he does. “PROPANE” is a good example off the 2022 project N/A . It makes use of a straight Marvin Gaye sample, but I don’t want a lawsuit so I’ll talk about “REVENGE FOR LOST TIME”. Also off N /A, he opens with a silly audio clip before introducing the faded and looped sample with distorted vocals and trumpet run. He then lays a simple drum machine and base hits over the top. He leaves the sample quietly underneath and brings it up over the top on occasion to add flavor to the heavyweight rhythm. Landours’ flow rides over the top of his most dense soundscape for one of his best songs, despite a feature I could take or leave. This leads me to Landours’ secret sauce. He has an uncanny ability to work over the top of his instrumentals. This is that polish coming into play again. No matter the speed of the beat, he is able to pace himself and dictate the energy of the song. Many artists have a tendency to try to be on the same pace as the beat, Landours’ knows better. It’s especially evident in some of his hooks. “MYSELF” and “MYLES AWAY” are his two most popular songs and for good reason. He is able to accelerate in and out of his verses to seamlessly shift the tone of the song. Both songs have sample-based beats which the hooks match in pace. They then make swift shifts into higher energy and pace on the verses. This allows him to use simple beats to create a comfortable groove for the listener because he provides all the necessary flavor in his delivery. Elijah Landours is a technical beast with an ear for beats and a lot to say. His execution comes off as relentless and sincere. Oftentimes I find myself imagining what artists could feature on his projects, from Black Thought to Denzel Curry. His soul flips and lyrical prowess are on the level of today’s best and brightest and his more unique strengths are a level above that. Elijah Landours is the real deal, he is ready, he just needs you to listen. https://unitedmasters.com/elijah-landours Ally Evenson Narrative Weaver 21,885 Monthly Listeners Disclaimer: Ally Evenson is Detroit based, so I may be biased. Her discography, while it may be the smallest on the list with one EP and five singles, has a promising level of diversity. She has a good grasp of Pop as a genre and its ability to bridge stylistic gaps while maintaining one sound and stylistic label. Not that labels matter, but within pop she’s given herself the ability to grow under one roof (and within one algorithm) while showing off her versatility and trying new things. When I listen to Evenson, her wide range of influences and natural musical instincts are clear, making a trip through her discography very rewarding for new listeners. Evenson’s recent singles have been most successful in terms of streaming, signaling positive growth, but her 2020 EP Not So Pretty gives what I consider the most essential taste of her abilities. Her singing performances are solid all the way through, nailing the sad-girl pop aesthetic with vocals that border on whining but settle in a genuinely vulnerable place. The first three songs “Not So Pretty”, “Why Don’t You Call Me Anymore?”, and “Burning Room” all lean into that same style. Their lyrics and song structure are impressive as she is able to change direction without any major shifts in composition or delivery. They move along and keep the listener tied into their easy to swallow narratives. Admittedly, the fourth song “More of a Happiness” sticks out in an otherwise uniform release, and though it's out of place, it may be the strongest track. The best way to describe it, in my mind, is a beach song. Washy guitars, an upbeat rhythm, and smooth vocals that feel like one continuous chorus, it’s a welcome change in direction. It stands as proof that she’s a good collaborator (with Katrine Noël in this case), and a reminder that Evenson knows her stuff, making it a perfect interjection for an early-career release. I’d wager the biggest reason for Ally Evenson’s growth as of late is her honing in on a consistent signature sound. That creativity is still present, but her 2022 singles feel like a good indication of her future direction. Fairly simple strong structure, often building from a simple acoustic guitar to more heavily layered high points, goes with her ability to build tension with her vocals. “Bite My Tongue” is a great example. She remembers her way through a dead relationship, attempting to hold back negativity towards the person in question, only to have it boil over. Inevitably she’s forced to face the fact that she missed the chance to say what she needed to. She knows how to write a song and paint a picture. Whether it's through lyrical expressions of pain like on “I Can’t Feel (My Body)” or “Bite My Tongue”, a well placed audio clip like on “Good Morning, Al”, or just a vibe like “More of a Happiness”, she has command. Evenson is a creative and a student of the music game, and those ingredients are exciting to say the least. Her continued journey towards an easily recognizable sound is key, and her growth in streaming number will only encourage it. I am looking forward to Evenson's 2023 releases, and I hope you'll join me on the lookout. https://linktr.ee/allyevenson Gretel Hänlyn Musical Swiss Army Knife 165,440 Monthly Listeners London is one of the most unique and diverse cities in the world. This goes for music as much as anything else, and Gretel Hänlyn is proof of that. Her sound is unique and I believe her ceiling is the highest of these three artists. She has two EPs out on streaming services, and while they are wildly different from one another, her voice and personality are true constants between them. Hänlyn seems to be executing her visions on a near expert level and her creative ambitions and talent will carry her far. Gretel Hänlyn’s never-ending appeal begins with her voice. Her tone and versatility cannot be taught. Though it's hard to conclusively say where an artist feels strongest, Hänlyn seems to thrive singing in her naturally deep voice which she can pitch up or down. She doesn’t need to throw her voice at all to hit the notes she desires on a given song. This is something that many incredible vocalists, Prince for example, aren’t fortunate enough to have been born with. They may be able to hit notes with added concentration and polish, but Gretel can do it without a second thought. While the ability to range up and down without any significant heightened focus may seem like more of a convenience than an advantage, that’s not the case. In fact, I think it’s a big reason she is such a dynamic artist. It gives Hänlyn the ability to focus on supplying her performances with emotion, creating unique melodies, keeping pace, and most importantly, entertaining. Like I briefly mentioned, her two releases are much different from one another, however, they are anything but singularly focused. The 2022 Slugeye is a 20 minute package of vividly heartfelt songs, indie-pop jams and takeaways from each track. It showcases her ability to elevate any song with a great chorus, sing a verse in any tone, and keep the audience off balance yet captivated. For promptness sake I’ll limit myself to one song: “In The Water”. It’s not the best song on the EP, but in my opinion it showcases her various tools the best. We hear her complete range, from the murky lows to the delicate highs, her beautiful vocables included. She writes it in one of her most common formats: a meandering mix between conversation, narrative, and her own thoughts. She also layers the instrumental as the song proceeds, beginning with some of her more stripped down production (usually serving more sensitive narratives) and building to a masterfully layered chorus that even includes what sounds like a harp laid over top. It’s elegant, it’s emotional, it’s beautifully performed, it’s entertaining, it’s Gretel Hänlyn. In 2023 she vowed to take her already fully formed sound and push it further on Head of the Love Club. The result is fantastic. So good I couldn’t resist writing a complete and overdue EP review . I have so much to say about Gretel Hänlyn I needed an entirely different article, if that doesn’t properly sum up her talent I don’t know what does. https://www.gretelhanlyn.com/ Musical discovery is the most essential role we can play as consumers. If you haven’t heard of these three, I am thrilled to introduce you. If you have, keep listening, so we can keep getting more. They are all very talented, and together they cover all aspects of experiencing music. I hope you agree.

Fool's Gold: Apollo's Debut Is Not By Ian Sherry 8/8/2025 On August 8, 2025, Lew Apollo released Fool’s Gold. This debut album is a celebration of individual creation within the blurred lines of this contemporary musical landscape. Lew Apollo was introduced and pitched to me as a “soul” artist. We take soul seriously here in Detroit, making such a label not only striking, but a direct challenge. An endless list of criteria scrolls Star Wars-style through my subconscious as my ears do the judging. In this case, “soul” is a precious label I cannot afford. Apollo’s self-produced pop sound is balanced, fresh, and on-par with industry standards, but it doesn't so much emulate the musical bones of soul music. In an effort to perfectly portray “Lew Apollo the artist,” a noun was used as an adjective: Lew Apollo is not a soul singer, but he is a singer with soul. In 2023, Apollo released JUNGLE . His debut EP had an interesting variety of pop-adjacent tracks, but I find its name to be its most relevant feature. Jungle, to most music fans, is a British band, whose poppy yacht-funk can drift towards modern (Indications-like) soul on any given track. Whether or not he did it intentionally, Apollo benefits from this namely intertwinement. His and Jungle’s likeminded approaches to bridging pop and aspects of disco or soul co-validate one another through quality and creative direction, and that’s evident from track 1. “No Room In Hell” is a prototypical result of this sound, and I’m here for it. The track’s bounce is enough to grab my ear, and the otherwise spacey instrumental is filled-in but secondary to Apollo’s well-engineered vocal editions. The following title track, “Fools Gold,” flexes the ability to easily rework the sound established in track 1. The gradual pace and slappy bass allow Apollo to meander his way into a dreamy vocal performance, floating on the verses no problem, into a catchy chorus with understated background vocal support, before making room as he often does on this record, with a humble but quality instrumental bridge. By this point, it was becoming clear to me that I was dealing with a legit composer. Lew Apollo has a thriving independence about him, from the persona outlined in his promo material, to the aesthetic he’s cultivated on socials and cover art. But, the kicker is that he produced this record himself. Many a genre-fence-sitter have thrived in the technological era of production. Think early Kanye West, Anderson .Paak producing Malibu on his Macbook, or Lew Apollo piecing together a chorus-bolstered, soul-appreciative third track of legitimate sonic scale… “Let The Light In” opens with a murky hook preview and some of Lew’s most striking lyrics thus far. After teasing the chorus, the track begins to pick up steam, bringing in more instrumental and background vocal support on the chorus’ second repetition, and continuing to find new gears through the track’s closing moments. Our tour’s next stop is track 7, “Addicted.” Talk about inspiration. Lew definitely went for a soul tune with modern juice on this reimagination of Bill Withers’ “Just The Two of Us.” Leaning respectfully-but-noticeably on that legendary 6-bar progression, Apollo drops in a heavy r&b track complete with an original spin on the hook’s bones, meaty bass dips, and a delicate bare-bones sonic atmosphere that he places himself at the center of. A win in my book. Now for the closer. Fool’s Gold’s ninth and final track was perfectly placed. Lew Apollo lays it all out there on “Feeling OK,” which stands head and shoulders above an already raw record in terms of vulnerability. Accompanied by only his guitar, Apollo limps his way through a relatable account of the challenges of day-to-day living. While the song doesn’t do a ton musically, his guitar is just enough to properly support him as he captures a feeling experienced by many through different but comparable experiences. He has one line specifically that he wanted us all to hear as his debut record came to a close: “if you can’t pick me up, then put me down.” I’m here to pick him up. Lew Apollo is an ambitious artist. A capable musical visionary. An independent well-rounded artist. And a soulful singer. Fool’s Gold is a 8.2.

RAYE: The real deal BY: IAN THOMAS SHERRY, 5/4/2026 Raye dropped her smashing LP THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE. on March 27, and if you’re just now hearing of her, you’re late. It was Saturday Night Live (which is generally upholding the tradition of quality musical curation on variety shows, Arsenio, Chappelle, all the way back to Ed Sullivan) where I first discovered Raye. That was before her three Grammy nominations, and I was late then. Now, we’ve entered a new era of international pop. My 21st Century Blues (’23) was an ambitious foundational record, the product of Raye’s departure from Polydor Records. I listened to the debut in the wake of my stumbling upon Raye and knew she could do better. The sturdy collection of long-fermented music featured a variety of pop and r&b flavors plus flashes of her tone as a writer, yet despite its critical acclaim (especially across the pond) I found it musically thin and thematically broad. Not to worry, neither of those tropes are present on this 2026 LP. “Intro: Girl Under The Grey Cloud” is an excellent entrance into the most theatrical record I have ever listened to. The music of musical theater, especially when removed from the performance, makes my stomach turn. That is historically, but Raye’s sonic gravitas, worldbuilding, monologuing and all around-performative efforts can be described as nothing short of theatrical, so here I am at the breaking point of another personal precedent. The songstress stumbles from one stormy scene into another as (Track 2) “I Will Overcome” rumbles around. The true intro more-or-less continues the narrative: a drunk gal out on the town, far past anyone’s bed-time, searching for the answers to, well… everything. The focus narrows over the next four tracks. Time to more deeply address the sound I suppose. It’s a bright pacey pop, boosted by a 21st century studio and big band thunder, background vocals and a prancing matriarch at the center of it all. Raye preaches warnings on the (Track 3) “Beware.. The South London Lover Boy.” She tells a precautionary tail over a twirling keyboard/808 hook on (Track 4) “The WhatsApp Shakespeare.” Then there’s the theatrical masterpiece (Track 6) “Click Clack Symphony.” Raye revisits her well of 20-something depression and treats her vulnerability with girlpower. She assembles the gals, “send the call out, send the call out!,” and sets out on the town hoping to lose the inside thoughts outside, using the click-clacking heels as her beat. (Track 7) “I Know You’re Hurting.” must be the day after. This tune is the page-1 example of the triumphant music achievable at the peak of pop. When combined with the wholistically performative sensibilities of someone genuine, spirited and talented like Raye, a pop studio can create tear-jerking moments in the middle of Walmart. HUT. And now a brief advertisement for America’s second son, Jazz music baby. Well, ‘we’ brewed up this mystical instrumental gumbo with European instruments, so I guess it’s only fair that they get a take on it. Still, I often hesitate to consider the big blaring British bands I hear on 007 soundtracks to be jazz. I mean somewhere below “Gold Finger”s hollering horns Jimmy Page was just lurking, playing sheet music, a proper jazz band would’ve drawn that behemoth out, no? But still, the branches of British jazz bear undeniable fruit, Amy Winehouse at the very minimum. “This song is called ‘I Hate The Way I Look Today’,” says Raye. A statement of fact is followed by a beautifully bumbling brigade of similar thoughts as she raps and rambles, in true jazz style, a laundry list of complaints about her physical person. Comedic, relatable, listenable, Raye refuses not to check all the boxes, and this jazzy break at track 9 was a brilliant move to further flesh out her musical chops and back up a big claim from track 2: “And it’s funny, some people say I remind them of Amy.” Call me some people. (Track 10) “Goodbye Henry” begins with another cheekily dejected monologue, the kind Ms. Carpenter dreams to achieve, and I’m feeling frisky so I’ll share: “This is a sad song/ Though it feels happy / It is not happy at all, in fact / It makes me so, so sad to sing this song /But I will sing it for you anyway / This song is called "Goodbye Henry" / And I wrote it 'bout a boy / A very lovely boy/ And his name isn't even Henry/ But I'm just tryna be respectful / We don't talk anymore / He could be next-door and I wouldn't even know /In another life we could have made it /But in this one, well, we let go…” From there the bounding soul track wonderfully lives up to its billing. Raye rides horns, keys and drums like a tricycle and welcomes Al Green at the bridge, a treat for the ears as much as the heartstrings. (Track 11) “Nightingale Lane.” is yet another highlight, this time an Adele-style ballad. Over a pretty generically supportive score, Raye opens up those impressive vocal cords of hers, which she often opts to nimbly control, and wails a well-written chorus. She is comfortable at any pace, dancing through tracks all record long and adjusting with effortless swagger to the speed limit on “Nightingale Lane.” Did we mention that THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE? (Track 12) “Skin & Bones.” shocks the LP back to this decade’s pop pace for a number-1-worthy track. The equally catchy (Track 13) “Where Is My Husband!” stands as Raye’s top-charting song in the US, peaking at 11 on the Billboard. It’s curios that Raye’s exposure in the American media has yet to convert to top-10 radio play; the disconnection between fame and fortune has indeed sewn itself into modern media arenas. Her dime will come, never fear, so long as Raye continues to make songs like (Track 15) “Joy.” This late-album hit has the juice of certain 2010 smash hits as a big brass section jumps on top of a sleek afrobeat (which sticks around in the form of a rhythmic 808). The band’s sound and volume takes me back to Fifth Harmony’s prime, Jessie J, rooftop pop. (Track 16) “Happier Times Ahead.” Carries the same sentiment, sound and quality into the album’s conclusion, “Fin,” which functions as an audible credit-roll. Raye’s lyrics are good, the world she built excellent, her voice unique, vocal style unparallelled. She deserves to be praised in the same international pop circles as her British pop foremothers, Latin juggernauts and American stars. She deserves mentioning in the same conversations as young visionaries like Cameron Winter. And if she keeps up this pace, Raye will earn mentions in conversations about the all-time greats. THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE is a 9.1.

Coverage Vol. 3 9/9/24 BY: IAN SHERRY On Instagram it's acceptable, trendy even, to take a sound from another video then make a video of your own, with your own message/joke using the same sound in the background. That format falls into the ‘recycled mindless internet crap’ category, but I did indeed see a funny one once. The ‘sound’, which I’m sure has been used to death in a variety of fashions since the original video, is a recording of a guy who mistakenly begins to rap Kendrick Lamar’s “Poetic Justice” over Janet Jackson’s “Any Time, Any Place” . The first samples the later, so it's an easy mistake to make, but he was immediately scolded by a friend who was trying to enjoy his contemporary oldies. In my opinion anyone who leans towards Lamar’s recycled and remixed version of Jackson’s classic has lost their damn mind, but I can identify with the mistake. Just this morning I was listening to my very own oldies playlist, and as it finished and Spotify took over the track selection, I immediately recognized Jaheim’s “Put That Woman First” . One of the best songs by one of the best voices of 2000s r&b, I was initially happy to hear it play, but realized not too far in that this was a different song, likely the original. I was right, but the two versions are so similar at points, both lyrically and in the instrumental hook, that I couldn’t immediately decipher if it was a cover or a very thorough sample-job. It turns out William Bell’s “I Forgot To Be Your Lover” is indeed a completely different song, and while I prefer the revamped version by my favorite golden-toned thug with a heart, there are quite a few strong renditions of the original track. Let’s dive in and crown a champ. Welcome to Coverage 3. Honorable Mentions AL KOOPER, 1976 Al is butt naked on this album cover and he delivers the weakest, most vocally and instrumentally thin rendition to boot. Yikes. THE REVELATION, TRE WILLIAMS 2012 This supporting track for Wu-Tang Clan’s foray into the world of martial arts movies leads the pack in production quality and includes a solid guitar-forward bridge, but the vocal performance leaves something to be desired, often failing to stay within the instrumental framework of the song. TOMMY TATE, 1989 I feel bad that Tommy can’t climb any higher (he looks awfully friendly), but his well-executed straightforward version doesn’t surpass the original in any particular way. WILLIAM BELL, 1968 Bell wrote and performed a beautiful song. It was safe, simple and powerful, but its simplicity lent itself to improvement and that’s the only reason he falls outside the top four. That being said, this version remains the standard. ROBERT CRAY, 2005 Cray is one of my all-time favorites, but just like Blood Sweat & Tears missing out on the last coverage, Cray didn’t do quite enough with his version. However, his always steely guitar has a different warmth to it on this track, making it worth a listen. THE MAD LADS, 1973 The Mad Lads gave the most ingenuitive vocal performances of the bunch. Their foursome added a 60/70s Temptations-esque spin to the track, and if it had actually been The Temptations it would’ve cracked the top spot, but it just wasn’t. NUMBER FOUR THE BLACK KEYS, 2024 Admittedly I was torn between this version and the last. Both reinvented the song vocally, but The Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach’s twist is more in the cadence than the vocal sequencing. As a result, he better replicates the familiar feel of the time-honored original. There are times he delivers a line, or note, down when I want it up or vice-versa, but those are issues of taste and preference. The key, (get it?) is that he maintains the emotional feel the track is intended to deliver, and he does so as well as nearly anyone else. I am a fan of Auerbach’s solo work, and his stylistic versatility combined with the adaptability of his partner Patrick Carney make this modern rock-tinged edition of Bell’s classic a resounding success. NUMBER THREE GEORGE FAITH, 1978 I wouldn’t have imagined a reggae arrangement of this song, but it turned out to be a stroke of genius. The similarities between reggae and soul lie in their deep lineage and aged variety; as a result, the song makes a pretty smooth adaptation between the Black American ballad and this heartfelt reggae version. George Faith floats with restraint over an energized reggae pace, guiding a song that could’ve lost its original intention in the right direction. By holding back and letting the echoed production swirl around his vocals, a slight discrepancy in pace becomes clear between his words and the music flowing around him, reminding the listener of the melancholy cry the song was designed to simulate. It may not be the most true-to-form version, but it is a creatively gutsy reimagination of a soul song that resulted in an undeniably well-executed reggae song. NUMBER TWO BILLY IDOL- "TO BE A LOVER", 1986 Because of the different title and overall ‘Billy Idolness’ of this song it’s not completely recognizable, but this highest charting version of “I Forgot To Be Your Lover” is indeed a straight cover. Idol, who could not be bothered to bend to the song’s original form (or title), also recognized what he could do with it. He nearly doubles the length, adding air to the structure, high-energy instrumental portions, a confident vocal performance, and an entirely different attitude. The track ramps up quickly with true rock & roll style, the bounciness of the 80s, and the improvisational ability of a great performer, before eventually concluding just after the best guitar performance on any of the versions. It was a true pop/rock blowout of the words that originally sat on the paper, and it was done to near perfection. NUMBER ONE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, SAM MOORE, 2022 That’s Sam Moore of Sam & Dave , in 2022, at age 86, singing beautifully beside Bruce Springsteen. This is absolutely the best version of the original imagination William Bell had in 1968. It has every ounce of class and quality the original put on display, but with even more soul. Moore opens their rendition in his aged yet unwavering voice, ranging up and down subtly, filling the speakers for the bigger lines and finessing his way through others. He sings as strong as ever and with enough emotion to match his partner’s fanfare. Springsteen has always had a very genuine tone to his confident, even overbearing vocal persona, and on this track he lets it take the forefront. He backs Moore on the chorus, bolstering and energizing the tune as they approach the handoff. Then with the instrumentation of prime Detroit soul and the audio equipment of a 2022 Springsteen contingent, the energy elevates through The Boss’s verse, and the well-oiled veteran duet finishes off my very favorite version of “I Forgot To Be Your Lover”. Listen to Jaheim's "Put That Woman First" and "Finding My Way Back" for some CG Xtra Credit.

OBSESSION, NEXT-GEN HORROR WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED BY: DAWSON SARCONA, 6/10/2026 Recent horror blockbusters have the box office in a chokehold, due in large part to the genre’s popularity amongst upcoming generations. The youthful zeitgeist is horror-acclimated, and Curry Baker’s Obsession is the latest and loudest proof of that. Obsession has no shortage of achievements after just three weeks in theaters. For a movie with a budget as low as $750,000, Obsession has blown its expected earnings out of the water as it’s now on track to reach $250M (or more) before the end of its theatrical run. Further, if you look at the weekend-to-weekend growth of Obsession, you'll notice that the lowest earnings are in its opening weekend, before growing 30% in week two and an additional 10% in week three, implying cult-classic momentum. The last film to behave as such at the box office was all the way back in 1982, Stephen Spielberg's classic E.T. So what is so great about Obsession? Well, to put it plainly, everything. That's right, ladies and gentlemen, I think we might be dealing with a near-perfect movie. Now, I will say, I have seen this movie 3 times in theaters, so I've gotten the privilege of looking back at it with the perspective of already knowing what happens. One thing that really stood out to me on my 2nd and 3rd watch was how well each scene served the story in getting us to the ending. Never before in my life have I seen a movie with such a tight script in which literally every single scene serves a distinct purpose. I genuinely believe that this film could not be cut any further and still tell the story it does so effectively. This is likely due to director Curry Barker's experience as a YouTube/TikTok sketch comedian. As a part of the Duo “That's a Bad Idea,” Barker mastered the craft of building short-form sketches and content. Due to the limited attention of viewers on these apps, Barker has gained an eye for what's necessary to keep the audience's attention and the story constantly flowing. These skills are put to expert use in the writing, directing, and editing of this film, all of which he did himself. SPOILER ALERT. The plot begins with a very simple concept: Bear makes a wish that the girl of his dreams, Nikki Freeman, “loves him more than anyone in the fucking world”. From here, Barker quickly distinguishes himself from the rest of the stories told under this Monkey’s Paw trope. As Nikki begins to become more and more obsessed with Bear, the story evolves into a horrifying tale of self-destruction and the extremes of co-dependency. I've always been a big proponent of horror’s effectiveness when it isn't explained. This is that to a T. Trying to assign logic to something supernatural often takes away the fear. Watching Obsession, it was very clear to me that Barker understood this principle. There is no explanation for how this wish magic works, or why it is that Nikki begins to get crazy and violent. Nor does it explain where the “real Nikki” goes during this wish. Instead, it just gives us little hints, moments of Nikki snapping back to reality, screams, outbursts, and indicators that something about this wish magic is cruel and terrifying. The use of ambiguity makes the movie so much scarier, and Barker has further gone on to say that he himself does not know and doesn't ever plan to create an explanation for these events. It's just spooky magic for spooky magic’s sake, and it works so well. Speaking of magic, Inde Navarrette’s performance as Nikki is something truly astonishing. Being able to play 2 distinct characters within the same movie is an accomplishment in itself, but being able to make them both distinct enough that the audience can instantly tell when either personality (Nikki or Wish Nikki) is on screen is something really special. The range of emotion Navarrette displays as both versions of Nikki is insane as a viewer, and it's because of her that this movie works. Every scary, uncomfortable, or flat-out violent moment in this movie hinges upon Navarette delivering, and boy does she deliver. This is hands down one of the best horror performances I've seen on the big screen, and the character will no doubt become a horror icon. While Navarrette is by far the breakout performance in this film, everyone who acts in this movie make great contributions. Michael Johnston as Bear does an excellent job grounding his character so we can see him constantly justifying his increasingly horrendous decisions. This allows for the slow-burning reveal that he may be the true antagonistic figure within the film. Megan Lawless and Cooper Tomlinson as Ian and Sarah are great supporting characters in this movie, and really help to make the friend group dynamic seem real and lived-in. Obsession is, without a doubt, my favorite movie of the year. The aesthetic, the lighting, the set design, the acting, the writing, the directing, all of it works so well to make this movie something really special. For me, Obsession is a 10 out of 10, and I am actively recommending this to anyone who is looking for a good horror movie. Baker’s arrival marks the latest in the YouTuber-to-horror director pipeline. Past creators like Jordan Peele (Get out, Us, Nope) and RackaRacka (Talk to Me and Bring Her Back) have taken this path to great success. YouTube has become somewhat of a crash course in movie-making, particularly for those who’ve grown up with it. Every few decades, Hollywood begins to die out and needs revitalization. We are in the middle of a major shift in the movie industry. Most moviegoers, including myself, now go to see the new film by their favorite director. The tabloid-driven Hollywood of the 90s and 2000s is fading. The directors, the creators, have become the new movie stars. I believe this is mainly because of the YouTube space. We have spent years with creators themselves, seen them grow, develop, and learn the difficulties that come with trying to make something that's your own. YouTube has become a training ground for creators and put them in the driver's seat. For these creators, it's not about pushing out a movie quickly to meet a quota; it's dedicating themselves to their art form. It's bringing Hollywood back to its roots and creating stories that are fun, entertaining, and expertly executed.

Tabs On Tigers: Harris Oversleeps Alarm 8/1/2025 BY: IAN SHERRY The trade deadline was July 31st, and in a display of confident mediocrity, the Detroit Tigers addressed just one aspect of a battered playoff-bound roster. Tabs On Tigers Vol. 4 Well, it was bound to happen. Our first-place Tigers hit a rough patch. It has been 10 years since the Tigers had more than 2 all-star players, which makes it laughably ironic that the moment Detroit secured 7 (yes the number seven) all-stars, their skid began. Sparked by the consecutive shellings of Tigers rotational leaders Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize (both named all-stars), the team’s tailspin ran into the break and only picked up speed through a shoddy ASG showing and 3 series losses to begin the second half (2-9). This properly grateful fanbase was patient, though the grouchiness was palpable in public spaces across the city (especially National Coney Island). But soon, the elusive Kerry Carpenter returned to the lineup, Riley Greene shaved his beard, and the Tigers were back. Their dominant sweep of Arizona was fueled by nonstop touching of Greene’s new stache, a big game from the sorely missed Kerry Bonds, good team pitching, and a dazzling bat retrieval by the American League’s premier bat-boy, Frankie Boyle. Nothing more satisfying than a righted ship – a return to form. These Tigers have a secret formula. AJ Hinch’s mad-scientist managerial style took tireless, borderline excessive balancing across several years to take root, but they’re dug in now, and it’s the league’s puzzle to solve. Puzzle: Detroit’s roster continues to fit that description all too well. Upon the gracious return of Carpenter, Reese Olson’s season ended with a shoulder strain and Parker Meadows hit the IL with a hamstring injury (which again calls into question the necessity of the hamstring – domestic pigs come stringless and sustain far fewer injuries). To his credit, Scott Harris immediately addressed the Olson shaped hole in the starting rotation, squishing the 6’-4”, 29-year-old Chris Paddack into his place. A day before the trade deadline, the former Twin took the mound to seal a series sweep with 6 great innings where he showed off a Chris Fetter-friendly arsenal, filling the strike zone with a good changeup, some loopy curveballs, and a mid-90s fastball with a bit of run. However, the puzzle is not yet complete. Heading into the Trade Deadline, The Tigers had undeniable needs, and as the dust settled at 8 PM on July 31st, those needs are still standing. First, the average age of the Tigers’ starting lineup falls under 30, and their playoff experience, aside from Javy Baez, Gleyber Torres, and Matt Vierling, is limited to their brief visit last season. And, while the slugging took a much-needed jump this season, teamwide, the individual power threats are still limited in stock and consistency. The allegedly aggressive pursuit of Alex Bregman this past offseason proves an awareness of this issue, and the submissively-swept Diamondbacks had the solution. Over the past 5 years, few players have hit more home runs than the renowned yet underrated Eugenio Suarez. The former Tigers prospect would’ve been an iron-clad edition to the Tigers patchwork infield at the hot corner, but Scott Harris wasn’t able to move Detroit past the ‘name-in-a-hat-phase’ of trade discussions, and Suarez escaped to Seattle (along with my dreams of an additional slugger). Second, the Tigers feature zero 100+ MPH arms in their bullpen, and just one on the whole roster in the reigning Cy Young winner. In today’s MLB, particularly against amped-up playoff competition, well-located pitches and matchup-seeking only go so far against pro scouting reports and hitters who’ve faced 90+ MPH pitching since high school. Will Vest is the Tigers’ hardest chucker and the closest thing to a closer Hinch’s play-it-by-ear bullpen strategy will concede. Vest has generally delivered on his end of the bargain this season, but, his go-to flat-flying 97 MPH fastball is a caliber bellow the weaponry of a Major League closer. It’s not about velocity, it’s about stuff, and the Tigers bullpen doesn’t have much. Still. In a series of conservative moves, Harris compiled a scrapheap of arms who may not have earned roster spots on their respective franchises next season. Paul Sewald is a former SEA/ARI closer who found open pasture in Cleveland this season and settled comfortably on the IL at the age of 35, where he’ll remain for Detroit. Rafael Montero is a journeyman reliever, most recently of Atlanta, whose 5.40 is a reflection of his lacking control. The 11-year vet keeps securing roster spots because of his swing and miss upside, but has only mustered 2 good complete seasons to date. Charlie Morton is a well-respected and well-loved starter who, at the age of 41, has posted a meager 5.42 ERA so far this year. While this season hasn’t been his strongest by any means (due in large part to his playing for Baltimore), and the end may be near for Uncle Chuck, his is a lefty who may offer Hinch’s bullpen flexibility in the forecasted playoff run. Kyle Finnegan rounds out Detroit’s additions. The former Nationals closer is having the worst year of his career with a 4.38 ERA, and while his previous seasons imply the ability to perform closer to a 3.50 ERA, he’s always allowed an unintimidating .250 BAA – much too high for a closer. Scott Harris had a big opportunity last month: to not only strengthen his roster for a deep run this season but stamp his name on some of the Tigers’ recent success. He proved the opposite. AJ Hinch is the leader of this organization. His idiosyncratic strategies and ability to get the most out of a utility roster have defined this new brand of Tigers baseball, and while Harris has been a stellar collaborator, no-doubt, he’s failed to provide any significant improvements to this savantly reorganized roster. Significant improvements were proven available. Suarez could’ve taken a short walk from dugout to dugout. Instead, he’s trekking to Seattle. As far as big-name relievers go, Mason Miller, Ryan Helsley, Jhoan Duran, David Bednar, Camillo Doval, Dustin May, and Griffin Jax all moved to towns not named Detroit. The silver lining lies in the Tigers’ undamaged farm system, but the solvable challenges this young, injury-riddled squad may face in October outweigh that moral victory. If I had to sum up this Deadline performance in a word? Flop.

Igor: How Did It Age? By: Ian Sherry 11/18/2024 I once saw a clip of a radio show or something (I wish I could remember to give proper credit) where this guy did impressions of rappers and then explained how different artists rap from different places - Biggie from his stomach, Tupac from his heart, JAY-Z from the top of his throat - you get the idea. He had clearly studied their creative process with his ears well enough to replicate it. Impressive. When it comes to Tyler The Creator (who raps from a variety of places), I’d like to focus on a different part of the creative process - inspiration. Before you can rap or pursue any creative endeavor, you have to draw inspiration. In the morbidly broad field that is ‘music’, there is a wide variety in quality depending on the alignment of motivation, setting, and talent. Not all of these alignments are made equal - the periods where an artist is sufficiently motivated in an inspiring setting result in the very best music, and they don’t last forever. Tyler The Creator is a period artist, meaning he has encountered and capitalized on several crucial moments - several alignments of those 3 crucial factors - throughout his artistic career. While it’s hard to determine from the outside looking in and only he can truly know where his music comes from, it seems obvious that Tyler had a shift in inspiration between his Odd Future era releases and his coming of age record Flower Boy . Following that jump in maturity, with his motivation, setting, and talent level evolving once again he embarked on his 3rd, most inspired period: Igor . As we border on what could be the horizon of a new era with his latest release CHROMAKOPIA , I thought it was the perfect time to revisit Tyler’s unforgettable 2019. IGOR: How Did It Age? What I’m ultimately trying to express with my ‘period’ concept is that an artist's ability to draw inspiration has a major impact on the potential of the product. Tyler is just too good of an illustration: the Igor period seems to have lasted just one year and was the result of a creative wildfire that began to kindle in the artistic rock bottom that many perceive Cherry Bomb to be. In contrast, Call Me If You Get Lost was a recovery effort in the aftermath of said wildfire. Following what I can only imagine were life-altering changes that came with his sudden emergence on Pop Culture’s center stage and the subsequent pandemic, Tyler spoke about hitting a creative rut. He also mentioned that a certain Westside Gunn helped him find inspiration again, hence the boastful pseudo-fashion rap nature of his 2021 album. Gunn is powered by this cycle of professionally inspired inspiration that consists of finding joy in success, remembering and reminding how he came upon that success, and using all of that as motivation to go get more. Tyler tapped into that cycle of success and leaned safely into his strengths on the last record; that’s why I loved it, but that’s also why it isn’t an era-defining type of record. He’s not Tyler The Gunn, he’s Tyler The Creator, and Tyler created Igor . If it’s so great why do I need to revisit it? Well, now I have a confession to make. Igor really is all the things I built it up to be, but recently I had this startling thought: is it actually good music? Pundits were quick to jump on the freight train that was Tyler’s uber-alternative new sound for a variety of reasons: first, progressive-edged subject matter gives any project a boost, second, his metamorphosis from an off-color goofball rapper to a self-serious embodiment of his latest album was shocking, and lastly, the sound itself is so intentionally abrasive and self-aware it becomes difficult to critique. Of course, the critics could have said something like ‘This music sucks because I don’t like it’, but that’s not why they get paid the big bucks. I joke, but it is actually that last point I’d like to revisit. Despite my readiness to be blown away by it, I remember being a little unsure if I even liked the album when it first came out. I’d never heard anything like it, and I still really haven’t, but there everyone was celebrating it as one of the decade’s best musical moments, so I followed suit. Next thing I knew, I was watching YouTubers break down the album’s storyline. That’s because in 2019 being a fan of Igor was a lot of fun. The communal excitement music can generate is infectious, and nostalgic memories of this album’s fever-pitch reception will always positively factor into its aging process, but I wonder if retrospect will show the same kindness to the sound itself. Now, if I’ve properly introduced this album, you ought to be wondering was it the excitement that elevated the album to an alt music masterpiece, or does it truly measure up over time? Let’s dig in. To appreciate Igor you must first digest its sound. Some do quicker than others, and I think that depends entirely on your own personal tastes. If you listen to a lot of Tyler’s music, you can get a good idea of where the Igor sound sprung from, but if this album were your first encounter with Tyler, there’s a much wider variety of ways you might experience, understand, and classify it. For example, I’m listening to Portishead as I write this article and there are definite similarities between their more hip-hop-aware periods and Tyler’s more atmospheric trip-hop style. One is a British rock band, the other an American rapper who’s banned from the UK, but their sonic spectrums overlap to a point. I could easily imagine being a big Portishead fan listening to Igor for the first time and experiencing track 1 as a popified relative of my favorite band. That’s because “IGOR’S THEME” starts the record off with a heavy-handed display of the big droning synths, 808s, and heavy distortion that give the album its edge. It also establishes a noticeably high pace that adds to the mystique of the sound and can be adjusted to aid the albums storytelling through tone. All that is to say, it’s the perfect song to start the album. Those kinds of project-focused decisions must’ve come so easily to Tyler The Creator in 2019. Most transitions on this album are fairly seamless and the outliers feel intentionally excused for one reason or another. Track 2 “EARFQUAKE” , the album’s biggest hit, introduced Igor ’s newly established stylistic palette to the mainstream, and, in tandem with Playboi Carti , Tyler rode his unconventionally altered vocals to number 5 on the Billboard before transitioning effortlessly to track 3. “I THINK” is built with a lot of the same bones you’d find in Kanye West’s prime production and begins to settle subtly into Tyler’s more familiar poppy alt-rap stomping grounds. Post the smoothly incorporated interlude track 4 , Tyler remains in his wheelhouse on “RUNNING OUT OF TIME” . Having established that sonic edge in track 1, given the album a sound-defining candidate in track 2, and maintained the usage of his quirky new vocal stylings throughout, Tyler The Creator already cultivated a potent sonic theme by the 5th song. Because it's so strong, that theme, or at least its influence remains present even on a sonically lighter song like “RUNNING OUT OF TIME”, building tension that draws the listener in and elevates the effectiveness of the song's progressions. That theme’s constant presence also makes it easy to jump into Igor mode. For instance, on track 6, “NEW MAGIC WAND” , as Tyler The Creator’s alter-ego permanently enters the album’s plot, he returns to the heavy-handed electronic atmosphere of “IGOR’S THEME” to go with a grinding horrorcore-esque rapping performance. The stylistic flexibility Tyler allowed himself made it possible to place songs like those back to back. Without the ability to make tough transitions work, he couldn’t have properly communicated the topsy-turvy love affair Igor intended. "A BOY IS A GUN" Despite all the superlatives, sometimes I get the feeling that this is less of a perfect album, and more of a well-executed gameplan, one that’s impossible to poke holes in. He chose an intentionally imperfect sound that negates any criticisms of sonic unpleasantries, took the liberty of dipping into his comfort zone despite the ambitions of his new sound, aligned it with a lyrical plot that supports his musical decisions, and gave songs that wouldn’t necessarily stand up well on their own a slot that allows them to thrive. There’s lots of circumstantial evidence building to support the idea that this is more of a great plan than it is a great album, so this is when I point to track 7. When I review albums, I review just that - the album. My focus is on the strength of each song of course, but as it pertains to their inclusion in the whole. Rarely do I give extended time-of-day to any particular song because it only represents a fraction of the total experience. I prefer it that way because a single song in a vacuum can become exhaustive. This however is a special occasion. “A BOY IS A GUN” arrived at a crucial point in the album. Following a back-to-back display of songs on polar opposite sides of the album’s sound, Tyler The Creator delivered the perfect semblance of their pieces. It has the build of a hip-hop song as he immediately establishes the beat and hook, making transitions between well-rapped verses seamless for the length of the song. The lyrics excellently navigate the rising action of his album-long romance with the vicious honesty of a man who’s finally out of patience. His herky-jerky flow makes for addictive listenability, as does the stop-and-go he expertly wove into the structure of the song to maintain tension and therefore your attention, leaving you susceptible to its many instrumental shifts. “A BOY IS A GUN” is as smooth, challenging, and unique as any song on the album, making it the perfect Igor song. ...anyway Here’s a metaphor for all you drinkers! Listening to “PUPPET” on the tail of the best song on the album is my version of a terrible hangover. Is it that bad of a song? In the grand scheme of things no, but it highlights everything I struggle with on the album. Its lack of pace creates a subsequent failure in the Igor formula. With more time to process, it's easy to hear some of the iffy instrumental quality - little imperfections that Tyler swept under the rug of electronic commotion in order to achieve a larger-scale sound. On top of that, the Kanye feature is complete garbage that Tyler attempted to fashion into usable material, and the bridge is a turd. I could go on but I won’t - it’s about the album remember? The singular skid of the album continues with “WHAT’S GOOD” (the song sure isn’t), which stands as Tyler’s only production miss on the record. It fails to catch any groove and rotates unsatisfyingly between two beats I really don’t care for. Luckily, with his duds out of the way, Tyler was ready to finish the album strong. The final three songs are a perfect example of the album supporting the songs. They all exemplify the album’s sound in some way or another, benefit significantly from their placement in the narrative as well as the tracklist, and have greater relevance within the complete package than they would on their own. Track 10 is “GONE GONE / THANK YOU” . Igor ’s falling action begins with a great build. The intro draws you in and the thankfully listenable instrumental is nicely accompanied by his chipmonked vocals. In my opinion, this is one of the few occasions on the album where a strong performance in his natural voice wouldn’t have sufficed or been preferable, as his autotune allows him to marry with the music in a way he couldn’t have otherwise. Then, I think just for me, he spat a great verse in his normal voice before giving way to the second part of the song which feels like a glorified outro for the first. “I DON’T LOVE YOU ANYMORE” represents the end of the romance, and sets the final stage with one of Tyler’s cleanest trip-hop/alt-hip-hop cuts to date. Then lastly, “ARE WE STILL FRIENDS” takes that listenability to the next level with a bright little soul sample that lays the groundwork for its lengthy build. It winds up and breaks itself down to some increasingly faint electric guitar, before roaring back one more time for the album's grandiose, cinematic closing moments. It’s a fittingly overdone last track, in hue of “Stand Tall” from Childish Gambino’s masterpiece Awaken My Love , and it brings Igor to a proper end. It’s time to return to that question I made you pose to yourself in the beginning (moment in time or masterpiece?). As a person who was there in 2019 experiencing Tyler’s takeover, its impossible to separate the album from its initial existence. The obsessive fanfare elevated Igor at the time, there’s no question, but I have my own question. If it can elevate it then, why not now? If an album relies on audience buy-in to thrive, as long as the audience keeps buying in, it remains a validated piece of art - it works. Five years after its release, Igor still works. I was pleasantly surprised to find that an album whose sound was such a product of the moment has maintained its complexity. I was afraid that by digging in I might start to see through the world Tyler created, that I might not be able to get past surface-level blemishes. To an extent the aging process isn’t preventable - it comes with familiarity - but, I’m very familiar with Igor, and while it might not necessarily soar to the heights it did in its early ragingly successful existence, it will survive. That’s because no matter how this particular sound develops, regardless of who might come along and do it better, and despite the occasionally spotty quality that comes with carving out a new niche, the album’s greatest strengths will remain unaffected. It is a story with a beginning and end, an all-encompassing thematic undertaking, a meaningful and relatable message, and a complete intentionally unified piece of music. Igor is an 8.5 .

Igor: How Did It Age? By: Ian Sherry 11/18/2024 I once saw a clip of a radio show or something (I wish I could remember to give proper credit) where this guy did impressions of rappers and then explained how different artists rap from different places - Biggie from his stomach, Tupac from his heart, JAY-Z from the top of his throat - you get the idea. He had clearly studied their creative process with his ears well enough to replicate it. Impressive. When it comes to Tyler The Creator (who raps from a variety of places), I’d like to focus on a different part of the creative process - inspiration. Before you can rap or pursue any creative endeavor, you have to draw inspiration. In the morbidly broad field that is ‘music’, there is a wide variety in quality depending on the alignment of motivation, setting, and talent. Not all of these alignments are made equal - the periods where an artist is sufficiently motivated in an inspiring setting result in the very best music, and they don’t last forever. Tyler The Creator is a period artist, meaning he has encountered and capitalized on several crucial moments - several alignments of those 3 crucial factors - throughout his artistic career. While it’s hard to determine from the outside looking in and only he can truly know where his music comes from, it seems obvious that Tyler had a shift in inspiration between his Odd Future era releases and his coming of age record Flower Boy . Following that jump in maturity, with his motivation, setting, and talent level evolving once again he embarked on his 3rd, most inspired period: Igor . As we border on what could be the horizon of a new era with his latest release CHROMAKOPIA , I thought it was the perfect time to revisit Tyler’s unforgettable 2019. IGOR: How Did It Age? What I’m ultimately trying to express with my ‘period’ concept is that an artist's ability to draw inspiration has a major impact on the potential of the product. Tyler is just too good of an illustration: the Igor period seems to have lasted just one year and was the result of a creative wildfire that began to kindle in the artistic rock bottom that many perceive Cherry Bomb to be. In contrast, Call Me If You Get Lost was a recovery effort in the aftermath of said wildfire. Following what I can only imagine were life-altering changes that came with his sudden emergence on Pop Culture’s center stage and the subsequent pandemic, Tyler spoke about hitting a creative rut. He also mentioned that a certain Westside Gunn helped him find inspiration again, hence the boastful pseudo-fashion rap nature of his 2021 album. Gunn is powered by this cycle of professionally inspired inspiration that consists of finding joy in success, remembering and reminding how he came upon that success, and using all of that as motivation to go get more. Tyler tapped into that cycle of success and leaned safely into his strengths on the last record; that’s why I loved it, but that’s also why it isn’t an era-defining type of record. He’s not Tyler The Gunn, he’s Tyler The Creator, and Tyler created Igor . If it’s so great why do I need to revisit it? Well, now I have a confession to make. Igor really is all the things I built it up to be, but recently I had this startling thought: is it actually good music? Pundits were quick to jump on the freight train that was Tyler’s uber-alternative new sound for a variety of reasons: first, progressive-edged subject matter gives any project a boost, second, his metamorphosis from an off-color goofball rapper to a self-serious embodiment of his latest album was shocking, and lastly, the sound itself is so intentionally abrasive and self-aware it becomes difficult to critique. Of course, the critics could have said something like ‘This music sucks because I don’t like it’, but that’s not why they get paid the big bucks. I joke, but it is actually that last point I’d like to revisit. Despite my readiness to be blown away by it, I remember being a little unsure if I even liked the album when it first came out. I’d never heard anything like it, and I still really haven’t, but there everyone was celebrating it as one of the decade’s best musical moments, so I followed suit. Next thing I knew, I was watching YouTubers break down the album’s storyline. That’s because in 2019 being a fan of Igor was a lot of fun. The communal excitement music can generate is infectious, and nostalgic memories of this album’s fever-pitch reception will always positively factor into its aging process, but I wonder if retrospect will show the same kindness to the sound itself. Now, if I’ve properly introduced this album, you ought to be wondering was it the excitement that elevated the album to an alt music masterpiece, or does it truly measure up over time? Let’s dig in. To appreciate Igor you must first digest its sound. Some do quicker than others, and I think that depends entirely on your own personal tastes. If you listen to a lot of Tyler’s music, you can get a good idea of where the Igor sound sprung from, but if this album were your first encounter with Tyler, there’s a much wider variety of ways you might experience, understand, and classify it. For example, I’m listening to Portishead as I write this article and there are definite similarities between their more hip-hop-aware periods and Tyler’s more atmospheric trip-hop style. One is a British rock band, the other an American rapper who’s banned from the UK, but their sonic spectrums overlap to a point. I could easily imagine being a big Portishead fan listening to Igor for the first time and experiencing track 1 as a popified relative of my favorite band. That’s because “IGOR’S THEME” starts the record off with a heavy-handed display of the big droning synths, 808s, and heavy distortion that give the album its edge. It also establishes a noticeably high pace that adds to the mystique of the sound and can be adjusted to aid the albums storytelling through tone. All that is to say, it’s the perfect song to start the album. Those kinds of project-focused decisions must’ve come so easily to Tyler The Creator in 2019. Most transitions on this album are fairly seamless and the outliers feel intentionally excused for one reason or another. Track 2 “EARFQUAKE” , the album’s biggest hit, introduced Igor ’s newly established stylistic palette to the mainstream, and, in tandem with Playboi Carti , Tyler rode his unconventionally altered vocals to number 5 on the Billboard before transitioning effortlessly to track 3. “I THINK” is built with a lot of the same bones you’d find in Kanye West’s prime production and begins to settle subtly into Tyler’s more familiar poppy alt-rap stomping grounds. Post the smoothly incorporated interlude track 4 , Tyler remains in his wheelhouse on “RUNNING OUT OF TIME” . Having established that sonic edge in track 1, given the album a sound-defining candidate in track 2, and maintained the usage of his quirky new vocal stylings throughout, Tyler The Creator already cultivated a potent sonic theme by the 5th song. Because it's so strong, that theme, or at least its influence remains present even on a sonically lighter song like “RUNNING OUT OF TIME”, building tension that draws the listener in and elevates the effectiveness of the song's progressions. That theme’s constant presence also makes it easy to jump into Igor mode. For instance, on track 6, “NEW MAGIC WAND” , as Tyler The Creator’s alter-ego permanently enters the album’s plot, he returns to the heavy-handed electronic atmosphere of “IGOR’S THEME” to go with a grinding horrorcore-esque rapping performance. The stylistic flexibility Tyler allowed himself made it possible to place songs like those back to back. Without the ability to make tough transitions work, he couldn’t have properly communicated the topsy-turvy love affair Igor intended. "A BOY IS A GUN" Despite all the superlatives, sometimes I get the feeling that this is less of a perfect album, and more of a well-executed gameplan, one that’s impossible to poke holes in. He chose an intentionally imperfect sound that negates any criticisms of sonic unpleasantries, took the liberty of dipping into his comfort zone despite the ambitions of his new sound, aligned it with a lyrical plot that supports his musical decisions, and gave songs that wouldn’t necessarily stand up well on their own a slot that allows them to thrive. There’s lots of circumstantial evidence building to support the idea that this is more of a great plan than it is a great album, so this is when I point to track 7. When I review albums, I review just that - the album. My focus is on the strength of each song of course, but as it pertains to their inclusion in the whole. Rarely do I give extended time-of-day to any particular song because it only represents a fraction of the total experience. I prefer it that way because a single song in a vacuum can become exhaustive. This however is a special occasion. “A BOY IS A GUN” arrived at a crucial point in the album. Following a back-to-back display of songs on polar opposite sides of the album’s sound, Tyler The Creator delivered the perfect semblance of their pieces. It has the build of a hip-hop song as he immediately establishes the beat and hook, making transitions between well-rapped verses seamless for the length of the song. The lyrics excellently navigate the rising action of his album-long romance with the vicious honesty of a man who’s finally out of patience. His herky-jerky flow makes for addictive listenability, as does the stop-and-go he expertly wove into the structure of the song to maintain tension and therefore your attention, leaving you susceptible to its many instrumental shifts. “A BOY IS A GUN” is as smooth, challenging, and unique as any song on the album, making it the perfect Igor song. ...anyway Here’s a metaphor for all you drinkers! Listening to “PUPPET” on the tail of the best song on the album is my version of a terrible hangover. Is it that bad of a song? In the grand scheme of things no, but it highlights everything I struggle with on the album. Its lack of pace creates a subsequent failure in the Igor formula. With more time to process, it's easy to hear some of the iffy instrumental quality - little imperfections that Tyler swept under the rug of electronic commotion in order to achieve a larger-scale sound. On top of that, the Kanye feature is complete garbage that Tyler attempted to fashion into usable material, and the bridge is a turd. I could go on but I won’t - it’s about the album remember? The singular skid of the album continues with “WHAT’S GOOD” (the song sure isn’t), which stands as Tyler’s only production miss on the record. It fails to catch any groove and rotates unsatisfyingly between two beats I really don’t care for. Luckily, with his duds out of the way, Tyler was ready to finish the album strong. The final three songs are a perfect example of the album supporting the songs. They all exemplify the album’s sound in some way or another, benefit significantly from their placement in the narrative as well as the tracklist, and have greater relevance within the complete package than they would on their own. Track 10 is “GONE GONE / THANK YOU” . Igor ’s falling action begins with a great build. The intro draws you in and the thankfully listenable instrumental is nicely accompanied by his chipmonked vocals. In my opinion, this is one of the few occasions on the album where a strong performance in his natural voice wouldn’t have sufficed or been preferable, as his autotune allows him to marry with the music in a way he couldn’t have otherwise. Then, I think just for me, he spat a great verse in his normal voice before giving way to the second part of the song which feels like a glorified outro for the first. “I DON’T LOVE YOU ANYMORE” represents the end of the romance, and sets the final stage with one of Tyler’s cleanest trip-hop/alt-hip-hop cuts to date. Then lastly, “ARE WE STILL FRIENDS” takes that listenability to the next level with a bright little soul sample that lays the groundwork for its lengthy build. It winds up and breaks itself down to some increasingly faint electric guitar, before roaring back one more time for the album's grandiose, cinematic closing moments. It’s a fittingly overdone last track, in hue of “Stand Tall” from Childish Gambino’s masterpiece Awaken My Love , and it brings Igor to a proper end. It’s time to return to that question I made you pose to yourself in the beginning (moment in time or masterpiece?). As a person who was there in 2019 experiencing Tyler’s takeover, its impossible to separate the album from its initial existence. The obsessive fanfare elevated Igor at the time, there’s no question, but I have my own question. If it can elevate it then, why not now? If an album relies on audience buy-in to thrive, as long as the audience keeps buying in, it remains a validated piece of art - it works. Five years after its release, Igor still works. I was pleasantly surprised to find that an album whose sound was such a product of the moment has maintained its complexity. I was afraid that by digging in I might start to see through the world Tyler created, that I might not be able to get past surface-level blemishes. To an extent the aging process isn’t preventable - it comes with familiarity - but, I’m very familiar with Igor, and while it might not necessarily soar to the heights it did in its early ragingly successful existence, it will survive. That’s because no matter how this particular sound develops, regardless of who might come along and do it better, and despite the occasionally spotty quality that comes with carving out a new niche, the album’s greatest strengths will remain unaffected. It is a story with a beginning and end, an all-encompassing thematic undertaking, a meaningful and relatable message, and a complete intentionally unified piece of music. Igor is an 8.5 .

Coverage Vol. 2 1/25/24 BY: IAN SHERRY I shouldn’t have done this one, it's too hard. One challenge of any cover is to maintain everything that makes the original great. This can be difficult considering you have to put your own twist on it and inject your own stylings, while attempting to replicate the personality and strengths of the original artist can interfere with that process. It’s a delicate balance, and that’s why covers are one of my favorite music industry phenomena. Today the point of emphasis is feel, and few artists benefit more from the feel of their music than T he Doors . Let’s talk about one of their best. Jim Morrison’s band charted its first #1 hit in 1967 with “Light My Fire” . It was clear from the very beginning of the legendary LA band’s discography that they had something sp ecial. Relying on keys and rolling guitars on top of steady drums, they were able to captivate a certain easily distinguishable sound, capable of bridging the gap between legendary groups like The Zombies and Grateful Dead . 1967 was a big year for music, with The Beatles changing direction on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Band , Eric Burdon taking control of The Animals , and Motown and Frank Sinatra sharing the top of the charts. Perhaps most significantly, some of the most influential acts of the next decade began to emerge including Jimi Hendrix , Pink Floyd , The Velvet Underground , and of course, The Doors. The latter announced themselves in a historically and contemporarily unprecedented fashion. The 60s was a decade in which the average length of a hit song was just 2:59 , yet somehow, Jim Morrison and co. took over the number one slot with a song just over 7 minutes in length (and a decade later people thought “Bohemian Rhapsody” was long at 2 minutes above average). It was a new era in music, and The Doors arrived right on time. Naturally, other artists took notice. A hit song with its own feel, simple arrangement, instrumental solo, and a runtime waiting to be shortened, sounds like a challenge. Sounds like the perfect opportunity for a cover. Welcome to Coverage Vol. 2 Honorable Mentions Shirley Bas sey The Goldfinger Singer took the big band approach in her 1970 cover. While the vocal performance is strong and the band is impressive, it lacks the meticulous groove of the original and falls short of replicating or otherwise matching The Doors' signature feel. Stevie Wonder I’m stunned, dumbfounded, floored, flabbergasted to see Stevie Wonder sitting in the honorable mentions, but here we are. Stevie performs it like he does any other song of his late 60s era, and drops a harmonica solo in place of the original keyboard. To me, although he is the king of that instrument, it is too thin in comparison to the show of force by Ray Manzarek on the original. It’s as good as any other Stevie song from that time, and that’s a strong category, just not as strong as this particular competition I’ve thrust him into. Jackie Wilson While he supplied the most energetic vocal performance and perhaps the cleanest instrumentals, Wilson was overshadowed in other categories. The horn solo is great, but other forthcoming artists took an equally aggressive angle on the horns. On top of that, he misses the intended vibe of the song without inserting a formidable alternative. However, this is a fantastic rendition that narrowly missed out on a top four mention. You can’t go wrong on this list, I promise. NUMBER FOUR JOSé FELICIAN O On a list where cultivating your own feel is essential, Feliciano will always excel. I’d qualify his rendition as the anti-Doorsian approach. While his methodical delivery and gradual song structu re are most similar to the original, Feliciano conveys a level of warmth strong enough to rival that legendary Morrison brooding. That’s very hard to do. His performance is laid back for much of the song, as he paints it with nimble and complimentary play on his guitar. It is a pleasant invitation with just the right amount of emotion and an exciting freestyle finish. His choice to build performative energy more gradually than any other version of “Light My Fire” really reflects the message of the song. As his excitement and passion for the fire-lighter picks up the warmth and positivity is infectious, yet his original mellow vibe remains present. It's simple, but intentional, and perfectly executed. NUMBER THREE AL GREEN My favorite vocal performance on this list, Al Green’s swagger is undeniable. While you can argue amongst any of the covers yet to be named, he may have done the best job of making it h is own. Green’s legendary career is partially owed to his unwavering status as the smoothest vocalist around, but what makes his 19 71 record unique is its rough edges. Gets Next To You saw hits like “I Can’t Get Next To You” , “Tired of Being Alone” and “I’m a Ram” , all of which have sharp drums and horns. At times, Green doubles down on that ever-so-slightly abrasive sound by matching it with some of his raspiest performances ever, while still providing a healthy dose of his signature smoothness, to create an incredibly satisfying contrast. Sitting perfectly between upbeat blues and soul, it's my pick for the strongest album in his catalog, and he masterfully pulls “Light My Fire” into that fold. By speaking the first few lines, he opens a dialogue with his audience, pulls us in by delicately delivering the initial hook, and maintains total control as his intensity, volume, and confidence grow throughout the track. Once you’re hooked, Green doesn’t let you off the mat, but you wouldn’t want to get up anyway. NUMBER TWO The Doors The original “Light My Fire” is one of the greatest coming-out-parties in all of music. The Doors introduce themselves to the charts with un wavering pace, seven minutes of it. As I mentioned brie fly, the length was unprecedented, to say the least. So, in order to captiv ate this endurance deprived audience f or the entirety of their chart-topper, they had to do something special. I think the key to The Doors’ chart-topping accomplishment is the balance they struck. It pushed the envelope in more ways than length; a relentless keyboard solo and dynamic yet restrained vocal performance set it apart from its contemporary hits. It isn’t the best version but it h as by far the greatest le gacy. “Light My Fire” is one of the most important songs of its era, because it stretched a formulaic performance to its stylistic capacity and opened the charts up to the fast-moving, incredibly impactful, and ultimately self-destructive force of nature that was Jim Morrison. NUMBER ONE ETTA jAM ES Every other artist that covered “Light My Fire” avoided The Doors' murkiness in favor of their own sound and vibe. Their decisions are likely all based on the fact that beating a band like that at their own sonic game is risky to say the least. Etta James was not, could not have been, intimidated. So, she leads in with a heavy bass guitar that pushes the limit of the lower portion of the mix. To balance it out, she stays in the upper half of her vocal range, providing a clear and clean balance. The drums hold pace and the occasional guitar painted overtop fills out the sound. It’s simple and slow, like the original, but by cutting the instrumental solo, which every other artist attempted to replicate in some way, she brought it completely into her wheelhouse. Much like Aretha’s “Resp ect ” , her revision is hardly recognizable, and that is due to one crucial factor: Etta James herself. Yes, the instrumental adjustments are masterful, and cutting the solo does have an impact, but her vocal delivery is the biggest gamechanger. She pours every bit of swagger available into this song, much like Al Green, but her intentionally measured cadence shift makes a massive, albeit subtle, difference. She improvises her way through the song, delivering all of the written lyrics in quicker succession than the original. James’ slight alteration of every single line is largely responsible for over four minutes of difference, as she yanks the song back into contemporary song-length standards. The moral of the story: Etta James is untouchable, and if she covers your song, kiss it goodbye.

KID CUDI'S ENTERGALACTIC BY: Ian Sherry 10/12/22 Kid Cudi is a generational artist who has shaped the melodic hip-hop scene of today through his work in the trilogy of Man On The Moon albums and other releases over the last ten years. His newest project, Entergalactic, was released on September 30th in tandem with an animated Netflix series under the same name. The series has been received well by critics thus far while the album brings something different to his discography. The buildup for this dual release was immense. Cudi is an artist who has shaped generations of music listeners and musicians as well. He has saved lives with his relatable commentary on mental health struggles. The world’s number one Kid Cudi fan, Nino Dioso, can attest to this. In his words: “That man literally saved my life”, and “I would die for Scott Mescudi [Kid Cudi]”. Any artist with this kind of impact is bound to have heavily anticipated releases and therefore high expectations. I think Cudi delivered. This isn’t to say he delivered a perfect album – far from it. The high points are impressive, though nothing musically groundbreaking. However, there are some issues. The most glaring is the fact that it feels aimless. Cudi is known for his thematically brilliant albums. This album had a slightly different focus. The only real theme was love and its focus on supporting the animated series falls short. In order to be a chronologically strong album the listener has to understand the full narrative from start to finish. For example, Tyler The Creator’s 2019 experimental and genre-bending release Igor tells a complete story through lyrics and even the feel of the production. Entergalactic doesn’t come close to this level of coherency in its storyline. Kid Cudi also falls prey to the occasional boring song on this album. He has a tendency to overuse his trademarked moaning vocals and lock in on one flow for too long, sometimes an entire song. Both of these can be seen on the song “Can’t Shake Her”. It is repetitive and fails to ever hit the second level it needed to be a widely enjoyable song. It stays in a sort of melancholic rut for the duration of the track and wastes one of the two Ty Dolla $ign features which are at a premium. Songs like “Angel”, “My Drug”, and “New Mode”, all fall in the same category. They show bits of potential at times but ultimately fall flat. Kid Cudi never makes offensively bad songs like other artists, just boring ones. Once he hits his stride though, the good outweighs the bad. The good can be found consistently from the fifth to the tenth track with one or two before and after, however, tracks six through nine are perfect. “Travis Scott would not exist without Kid Cudi” -Nino Dioso. This is not an uncommon opinion, and there is no better example than “In Love”. It has the punchy drums, decisive autotune, rolling synths, and soaring choruses that are responsible for so many of Travis Scott’s hits, except Cudi does it better on this song. It is a fantastic example of how to properly use elements of pop music without selling out to a mainstream sound. Though Travis Scott can come close at times, nobody but Kid Cudi can make a song like this. In that same vein, “Willing To Trust” is another massive success. One of the two singles leading up to the release of Entergalactic, this track features the previously mentioned Ty Dolla $ign, who is known to be one of the best feature artists in the entire music industry. He delivers here. His relaxed yet vulnerable vocals blend perfectly with Cudi’s, and a couple well placed refrains pull the track together into a cohesive and complete Kid Cudi classic. As if these two emotional and vocally elite tracks weren’t enough, Cudi directly follows them with “Can’t Believe It”, featuring 2 Chainz. This song is a big change in tempo from the previous two. Though it poses a slight chronological discrepancy, I can’t complain. Its rolling baseline and higher-paced chorus are a nice change of pace and it leads perfectly into the next song. 2 Chainz delivers one of his signature playfully braggadocious verses to round out “Can’t Believe It”, and just like that it's ready to be sent into any era of Cudi’s music. The hot streak continues into “Livin’ My Truth”. This track, like many of the other successes on this album, feels like a newer spin on a classic Cudi formula. It is a perky beat with a catchy hook and poppy ad-libs. As “Livin My Truth” fades out to a spacy guitar riff, Cudi wraps up what I think might be his strongest four-song stretch on any of his albums. Entergalactic is by far Cudi’s best work of this young decade, though it may not stack up with the first two Man On The Moon albums or the 2018 collaborative album Kids See Ghosts. He put up some of his best solo work since 2010, even if the whole album doesn’t soar to those heights. To me, Entergalactic’s level of creativity falls in the same category as his 2013 project Indicud, but it is much more well-rounded and polished, not quite sinking to the level of Indicud’s weakest moments. Instead, Cudi’s worst efforts on this album just come across as conservative, inoffensive. He doesn’t run into any issues that he hasn’t encountered before other than the clumsy storyline. That said, it isn’t nearly as chronologically inept as fan-favorite albums such as Because The Internet by Childish Gambino. So, clearly, it is possible to make a classic album with a shaky storyline. I didn’t know what to expect heading into this album. I was almost afraid Cudi might start to regress after his 2020 project, which seemed to lack creativity and consistency. He proved me wrong and I’m glad. I didn’t provide a rating for my first review of the year. That is because, frankly, DJ Khaled’s God Did, didn’t deserve a rating. Cudi does. He overcame the oversights in his storyline, as well as some boring songs, by including several classic tracks of different types and a solid crop of songs to support them; all the while staying with himself, for better or for worse. Kid Cudi’s Entergalactic is a 6.25/10.

LIL YACHTY'S LET'S START HERE BY: Ian Sherry 2/14/23 My go-to word when asked about Lil Yachty’s music has always been “fine”. That’s exactly what it is. To be fair, he does some things really well. His production is often compelling and he showcases versatility in his delivery when he is at his best. He also has been a part of a few fun pop crossovers. But, those songs are just that: fun. He falls victim to repetitive flows and occasionally leans too hard on autotune, but these problems aren’t unique. That is probably my biggest issue with Yachty: he is very talented in multiple facets of music-making, but he still makes mistakes that every other mediocre mainstream rapper does. So, as much as I like Yachty as a person, prior to this release, I would describe him simply as “fine”. The last few years have been interesting for Yachty. He’s gained a sizable media presence, mostly because he is a genuinely entertaining personality. He also has expanded musically. For example, in 2021, he decided to come to Detroit to make his album Michigan Boy Boat. The album featured some of the biggest artists in the Detroit scene -Tee Grizzley, Sada Baby, Babytron, YN Jay, RMC Mike, and Rio Da Young OG, to name a few- and his deep dive paid off in what felt like an authentic Detroit Rap project. As a Detroiter, I can attest that although for some people Detroit Rap can be an acquired taste, it is unique and hard to duplicate just for a given album. For the most part though, that is exactly what Yachty did, embracing the punchline-focused delivery that makes Michigan artists great. On top of his time in Michigan, over that last year or so, Yachty has reportedly been a part of studio sessions for several rap projects, and he’s written songs for other artists as well. He also released his single “Poland” recently which immediately blew up because of its show-stopping autotune, even though it was admittedly one-dimensional. There was some buzz over his upcoming album, but, even with the knowledge I had, I still wasn’t convinced it would be more than just a slight improvement over the previous Lil Boat albums. Simply put: I was wrong. Let’s Start Here is essentially an alt-rock/hip hop crossover, and it's good. The album could not have started out with a better track. “The BLACK seminole.” starts with heavy base and drum hits, immediately diving into the unique atmosphere of the album. Then, after the first verse, the guitar comes in. Not just a guitar riff or sample, a guitar solo. Not only does this speak to his immediate commitment to this new concept album, it shows his confidence in his musical expertise and versatility. After a somewhat lengthy tension release (something Yachty does well on this record), “the BLACK seminole.” finishes with the moaning vocals of Diana Gordon, who is brilliant throughout her multiple appearances. Once again relieving some tension, Yachty rolls right into the second track “the ride-”. It’s a relaxed, upbeat track that feels like Yachty’s version of what Steve Lacy does often on his 2022 album Gemini Rights. And, guess who is featured! Steve Lacy. Steve’s feature is simple and enjoyable, even though simplicity is not Yachty’s style on this album. Upon closer listen, “the ride-” has plenty of complexity to it. The baseline which roams throughout the song, keeps pace and bolsters the song’s personality. The third song “running out of time” is very easy to listen to, as is the fourth song “pRETTY” which features autotune reminiscent of “Poland” and a solid feature from Foushee. Unfortunately track five raises my first big issue with the album. “:(failure(:” is an interlude that consists of Yachty reflecting about his failures in a roundabout way. Here’s the thing: Yachty has a great personality. The problem is the placement. He led off the album with four great tracks but he then broke up the momentum with an interlude that could have slotted in anywhere. “THE zone” and “WE SAW THE SUN” come next. Both have their strengths. The first features, possibly, his best songwriting on the album, and the second includes more great autotune and a perfectly done mini-interlude. The interlude reminds me of some of Kendrick Lamar’s best. It simultaneously entertains and leads into the next song, as the bass kicks in towards the end for a seamless and satisfying transition. “drive ME crazy” and “IVE OFFICIALLY LOST VISION” mark the last two Diana Gordon features. Her impact on this album is probably greater than it appears on the surface. Her voice is a familiar mix between Alanis Morrisete and Tracy Chapman, and it adds completeness to the album by tying songs together stylistically, in a way miscellaneous features could not have. “sAy sOMETHINg” flirts with Yachty’s habitual repetitiveness but avoids it by pushing the limits of autotune and leaning into it heavily from the bridge throughout the conclusion of the song. “paint THE sky” opens with a muffled sample of the Weeknd’s “Save Your Tears”. Yachty does a mild stylistic Weeknd impersonation for the remainder of the song and executes it tastefully. “sHouLd i B” and “The Alchemist” combine for the weakest pair of songs on the album. Both are fairly repetitive, and though they stay within the niche of the rest of the album, they are missing the palpable creativity on every other song. “The Alchemist” has a nice finish that leads into the album’s final song. But aside from that, I could do without them, especially on such a strong and reasonably lengthy (57 minute) album. “REACH THE SUNSHINE” is the final song on the album. Although it doesn’t reach the heights of the opener, it brings in some of the same elevated vocals. Daniel Caesar has a great feature, adding to the atmosphere of the album’s conclusion with great vocals. Yachty decides to ride out the album on a wave of synths and sound effects, the same synths and sound effects that create the exotic sonic world that is Let’s Start Here. Lil Yachty’s Let’s Start Here is a musically alternative take on mainstream music industry style. It has its flaws, namely: the occasional grating vocal performance, incoherently high decibel combinations of instruments, and Yachty’s repetitive flow. But, it is a triumph nonetheless. Let’s Start Here sits in a strange yet surprisingly common set of circumstances, where the album can easily rub a given listener the wrong way. Yet, it would be a mistake to miss the genius behind it regardless of personal taste. Other albums that share these circumstances, especially within alternative hip-hop, are: Tyler The Creator’s Igor, Danny Brown’s Atrocity Expedition, JPEGMAFIA’s Veteran, even Death Grips’ The Money Store. If you’re familiar with those, I think Let’s Start Here is on its way to their level. Yachty is young, talented, and after this album it seems he’s poised to start making timeless albums. Lil Yachty’s Let’s Start Here is an 8.5/10.

FOR ALL THE DOGS 10/28/23 BY: IAN SHERRY On October 8, 2023, Drake released his newest album For All The Dogs . After multiple postponements, Canada’s greatest rapper released his eighth studio album. The 23 song odyssey is the newest addition to a discography of ups and downs. Drake’s persona is just as volatile as the quality of his releases. From the underdog to the top of the world, from lonely to never alone, from player to father, his character development isn’t wildly unique when listed in that format. What makes Drake unique is his arc is neither linear nor complete. In reality, those options I listed previously should be mixed randomly in a list held together by hyphens not commas. Drake is a walking paradox, as is his music. Despite consistently delivering some of the most compelling songs in a given year, his discography holds the most bland music to ever grace the top of the rap charts. In preparation for a Drake release, fans are forced to speculate as to which Drake will be present on the album. While the speculation is fun, his persona of choice directly impacts how the album should be consumed. So which Drake made For All The Dogs ? The simplest answer: all of them. “Virginia Beach” is a strong start in my book. The first song to any album should be an intentional choice that sets the tone. Drake chooses to start his 2023 release in his singing bag. The production is strong, weaving around his voice and shifting halfway through to emphasize heavier bass and drums that accompany his first rap verse of the album. “Amen” comes second, the samplework and Teezo Touchdown feature land nicely, and along with the keys overtop, they carry on the same vibe as track 1. Unfortunately, that is the end of Drake’s stylistic/thematic uniformity. Drake has all his tools on display on this album. There is a right way to do that, but this isn’t it. ROSALIA properly executed this concept last year. MOTOMAMI was a show of force in which she expertly performed in different languages, styles, vibes, and emotions. It was 42 minutes long, one song after another, all separate thoughts. The product was fantastic. For All The Dogs is 84 minutes long (that’s twice the length for those counting at home) and it has less to offer in all of those categories, despite Drake’s half a verse in Spanish. If only I was in the studio, I could’ve cut this album down to 12 tracks (2 interludes) that lasted 44 minutes. That album would’ve been Drake’s most consistent release in years. Instead we have twice as much music, and more than twice the material to complain about. SINGING Drake is not a great singer, but he knows how. He and Nicki Minaj are very similar in that sense. They have decent voices, and when they don’t push it, they can fit nicely into a well-written, well-produced song. When Drake is at his best, he puts himself in a good stylistic position to deliver a passable vocal performance with decent lyrics. “Bahamas Promise” is one such case. The heavy bass lead-in with dogs barking creates a vivid mood that gives way to Drake’s vocals. Track 10 is his strongest vocal performance on the album, and it's supported by background vocals and a gentle but firm instrumental. The strong bottom end allows him to focus on singing without being concerned about filling empty space. Piano along with other high-end soundbytes set in overtop to sandwich the vocals. It is a well designed and focused song that lasts for a perfect 3:04. Logically, since the attention to detail makes a song like “Bahamas Promise” excel, the lack of attention to detail has the inverse effect. “7969 Santa” is an unfortunately good example. Drake flips between rapping and singing. Neither is convincing, and the singing is flat out bad at times. The beat is entirely midrange ambient noise and drums. There is no depth of sound, no rhythm, and no energy. It is 2:40 of struggle to get to the unlisted Teezo Touchdown feature. Teezo does his best to save the song, but the simplest solution would’ve been to remove Drake’s involvement, leaving Teezo’s feature and Snoop Dogg ’s outro. Drake has been doing this for too long to allow these inconsistencies, and that’s a frustrating reality considering how good he can be. A whole generation of rappers followed in Drake’s stylistic footsteps for a reason. Speaking of that generation, the PARTYNEXTDOOR feature on “Members Only” is one of the highpoints of the album. Fellow Canadians, the two artists embody a similar r&b/rap lane. Unsurprisingly, this historically results in good music. Their collaborative efforts were successful once again this year. PARTYNEXTDOOR’s verse follows a solid Drake verse with a huskier tone than I’m normally accustomed to hearing from him. It adds a great texture to an otherwise smooth song. The slight juxtaposition brings flavor to the 14th track, and, mixed with their chemistry, it’s satisfying. This isn’t the only collaboration Drake nails on his 2023 LP, and, despite its strong points, the excitement surrounding “Members Only” won’t touch that of “First Person Shooter”. J COLE J Cole fans are rabid. That explains why “First Person Shooter” is third most streamed on the album already, behind the lead single featuring SZA and “IDGAF” featuring Yeat (one of the four horsemen of the mainstream music apocalypse). To their credit, J Cole and Drake did their thing on track 6. Drake stylistically snuggles up to Cole as they rap over production very reminiscent of Cole’s 2021 record The Offseason . The real excitement, though, surrounds the featured verse. J Cole comes out firing. He puts to bed the beef between NBA YoungBoy and himself, explaining that his comments, from which the disagreement stemmed, were misconstrued. He follows that by listing himself, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar as the top three rappers alive (I’ll reserve my opinion for a later date). However, the line that will live the longest announces The Falloff , J Cole’s upcoming studio album. Although my eyes roll a little bit in preparation for the word ‘genius’ to start popping up amongst the Cole-heads, I can’t deny that’s a productive feature. It piqued my interest at least. My favorite song on the album is track 15, “What Would Pludo Do” . Reminiscent of Zaytoven (a musical sweet spot of mine), Lil Yachty does his thing on production. The keyboard painted over the top works coterminously with bass hits on the low end. Drake flows right in between them. He goes bar-after-bar for the length of the track. It’s simple, and there’s nothing wrong with that. With all the singing, features, personal drama, and hype, it’s easy to forget Drake is a very capable rapper. I appreciate the reminder, though this isn’t even his best lyrical performance on the album. “8am In Charlotte” and “Away From Home” are both rapping clinics as well. INTERLUDES While “What Would Pludo Do” is my favorite track, the best pieces of music on For All The Dogs aren’t even traditional songs. Drake absolutely killed his interludes this year. “Screw The World” came first. It’s a dressed up sample of DJ Screw ’s remix of Nas ’s “If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)” . Drake evidently felt the need to pay homage to the quietly influential Houston-based DJ, and it may have something to do with the incident highlighted here . Regardless of his motivation, it is a great piece of music. The muddied vocal sits amongst the murky bass hits. The perfect amount of reverb and throwback southern flavor buried underneath round out one of the best instrumental tracks he’s had in years. “BBL Love” upholds that same standard. The soul sample brings in the audience gently. Drake takes the mellow approach, reflecting on women and how their intimate availability to him relates to his status as a wildly successful artist. This isn’t a new trope, especially for Drake, but that lyrical content isn’t what impresses me. He captures a vibe and brings you into it. If you’re a little uncomfortable once you’re there, he did a good job from an artistic standpoint, because he’s fully enveloped you in his world of numerous and nuanced sexual relations. On top of that, track 18 functions as an opportunity to take a breath before settling back in for the remaining 5 songs of this lengthy piece of work. Two perfect interludes. The biggest surprise on the album comes just a few moments after the second interlude. Track 20 is “Rich Baby Daddy” featuring Sexyy Red and SZA. Frankly, this spelled disaster for a few reasons. First, these are three individualistic artists with their own stylistic sweetspots; second, the Drake/SZA collaboration already fell short on “Slime Me Out” ; third, it’s 5:19 long. I’m pleased to say I was worried or nothing. Sexyy Red brings her energy from the jump with the chorus, and the beat keeps pace with her. It takes a certain kind of energy to feel like you’re setting the pace for the instrumental, instead of the reverse. Drake is able to keep up with the beat (see the difference?), and speeding him up adds an element you hardly ever find on Drake records. His verse is a success, and the chorus provides a perfect transition into SZA, who sings with pace but no less of her usual swagger. She remains one of the most talented vocalists in music, and she adds a smoothness you couldn’t have found elsewhere. The chorus hits again leading into Sexyy Red’s verse. It’s short, but it is a great conclusion to their twist on a traditional song format. The Drake outro could’ve been left off. If it had, this is the best song on the album. However, the choice to use Sexyy Red like they did was perfect, and the willingness to stick to the traditional chorus format paid off big-time. When it comes to good music, my favorite way to stand is corrected . CHORUSES There’s a reason I highlight the usage of a chorus on track 20. In recent years, especially within rap, there’s been a shift away from the traditional chorus-based song structure. This is usually in favor of the posse-track format. A good example, for relevance sake, is Westside Gunn . His new album (which I’ll have a review on soon) leans into this structure. Essentially, he peppers his songs with features whom he works well with. They trade verses over fairly consistent production, with the aim of impressing lyrically while putting an emphasis on their chemistry. This is pretty unique to hip-hop, and when done correctly the results are fantastic. However, some are better than others. Drake’s approach varies from the Buffalo rapper, in that he relies on alternative or subtle choruses (if none at all) instead of featured artists. His features are much less common. They may add a different flavor, but they often stand to do something that Drake cannot execute himself, which is admirable, or boost streams, which isn’t. So if the emphasis isn’t on the chorus, or some substitute like Westside Gunn’s features, where is it? The answer, for much of this record, is nowhere. The result is a lot of boring music, 8 songs by my count. That’s 8 out of 23 that have no replay value. If you check the writers credits for any song on this record you might be floored by the quantity of names involved. With that many minds at work, Drake is able to formulate clever ways to subtly write in choruses. The problem is I don’t want subtlety. That defeats the purpose. A chorus is supposed to provide a different flavor to the song as well as a jumping off point for the next verse. It’s a tool. On “Members Only” it allows for the subtle stylistic divergences of PARTYNEXTDOOR to stand out. On “What Would Pludo Do”, the chorus is a launching point for cutting verses. If you think I'm just listing songs I enjoyed, check this out. The chorus on “7969 Santa” works well too. Not only does it stand as a consistent return point for a misguided performance from Drake, it sets up Teezo Touchdown’s feature, which turns out to be the highlight of the song. Drake has far too much firepower in the studio to put out boring music. Sticking to the chorus-focused format that many artists, including Drake, have found success with historically, seems like a good strategy to me. Drake is one of the most polarizing artists alive. He leans into it, and then, as a reviewer, I can’t help but do the same. This album certainly plays into that. From the postponements, to the inclusion of his son's art and rapping (which keys the tires of a solid fifth track), he created a spectacle outside of the music. However, I’m more interested in the music, always. Here’s what I heard: Surprisingly, the album wasn’t unbearably long. I still can’t justify the length, but aside from Drake’s typically high level of bloat, it isn’t egregious. By bloat I mean unnecessary tracks, extra length on songs, or anything else that doesn’t add or take away from the experience. If you cut all the bloat from Drake’s previous two solo albums, there would be no albums. In that sense he’s improved this year. I was also struck by his lyricism. While it isn’t the stuff of other actively elite rappers like Pusha T or JID , it was much improved over his releases the last few years. However, one big disappointment is the absence of the Drake anthem. This is not an expectation of most artists, but Drake has a tendency to drop chart-topping, culturally enormous songs. While this album has some great tracks, it doesn’t have a “God’s Plan” or “Toosie Slide” . This doesn’t speak to quality, as there are probably five songs on this record better than those two, but I don’t know if this record will create the months-long ripple effect we’re accustomed to seeing from Drake projects. I’m mostly positive though. From an album construction standpoint, I’ve accepted that Drake has a lot of misses. His highs determine the quality of a Drake release, his lows or critical scores, do not. Thus, my score won’t reflect how much I enjoyed For All The Dogs , his best album in a while. For All The Dogs is a 4.75.