Stranger Things Season 5, Vol. 1 By Dawson Sarcona 12/5/2025 Stranger Things Season 5 Vol. 1 has officially dropped, and with it, the end of a decades-long franchise has begun. As someone who has been on the Stranger Things train since 2018, this franchise has been a crucial part of my development as a person. This is hands down one of my favorite TV shows of all time, so the fifth season had a lot of anticipatory weight to it. With this in mind, it's only fair to review this first volume (which only consists of four episodes) episode by episode. Season Five, Episode One: The Crawl A season opener is always a tough task. Especially following a one-year time jump, it can be difficult to write a cohesive first episode that lets the audience know what characters have been up to and simultaneously jump-starts the story for the rest of the season. That being said, this episode does a great job of balancing catching us up and building stories for the future. Dustin’s character arc provides some of the best moments of the season. This episode wavers in the quality of writing from the rest of the season - shaking off the rust. There are a few select scenes that probably could have been cut, as the writing stands out against the distinct tone of the series. Rather than setting up interactions and showing how characters are feeling, it felt like a lot more exposition dialogue rooted solely in just saying things that are happening. All in all, this re-entry into the world of Stranger Things takes its time setting up new character dynamics and leaves the audience with one of the best cliffhangers in the history of the show. This episode is an 8.5/10. Season Five, Episode Two: The vanishing of Holly Wheeler This episode follows the cliff hanger with the previous episode with a cold open that show creator calls the craziest they’ve ever done. With such a strong beginning of the episode, the rest pales in comparison. “The vanishing of Holly Wheeler” feels like the most ‘filler’ of the four this volume. It sets up some important mysteries and furthers the development of the new pairings for this season. Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Natalia Dyer (Nancy), and Nell Fisher (Holly) all deliver exceptional performances this episode. For Mike and Nancy, this feels like a return to leading forms we haven’t really seen since the end of season one. The two siblings working together, bouncing off each other, is something I’ve really missed and their strength is one of the best things to come out of these episodes. This season Mike also seems to fall back into his role as the leader of the party (Mike fans rejoice) For a new character, Holly is a great addition and does a great job fitting in with the environment of the show almost immediately. All that being said, this episode feels the most dragged out and at times feels boring. There’s also an increase in some of the iffy dialogue from the previous episode. Overall, episode two is a 7/10. Season Five, Episode Three: The Turnbow Trap Episode three immediately picks up from the slower pace of its successor. This episode introduces the other new breakout character from this season: Derek Turnbow. This kid is an immediate favorite of the internet - why? He is hilarious. Everything he says is delivered perfectly for the comedic relief needed to bring some light to what has so far been the darkest and most mature season. The addition of kids like Derek and Holly in this season is great because it brings the show back to its roots of being about young kids and monsters, while still being able to tell the stories of our original party and they grow up. Additionally, episode three pulls from “Home Alone” in one of the best sequences of the series. Scenes like that provide some of the volume’s best moments, where we get to see the classic Stranger Things teamwork moments - solving problems in unique and creative ways to defeat a monster. This episode is where the pieces of this story begin to fall into place, and the mystery starts to form. It sets up perfectly for episode four and is a great episode in itself. It’s a near-perfect 9/10 , and it fixes the majority previous episodes’ problems. Season Five, Episode Four: The Sorcerer Episode four is not only the culmination of the volume but, in some ways, a culmination of season 1-4. In this episode, we finally get to see Will Byers step into his own as a character. Since season one, we've been able to see nearly every character grow and develop, and it's felt like Will’s character has been left stagnant. All of Will's victimization and what some would call weak characterization build up to this episode, where we finally get the development we've been waiting for. In addition to this, we get some satisfying conclusions to the micro-mysteries set throughout the volume. The way this episode comes together is something marvelous. This episode defines what a great show is all about in showing perfect character growth, that creates a top 3 scene in the show hands down. To create an episode that tells its own story, bridges the gaps on the rest of the volume and sets up a really excellent arc for the rest of the show is not something that's easily accomplished. This episode does it flawlessly, a true 10/10 and the highest rated episode of the show to date. In conclusion, this season so far is a big success. It feels like a near-perfect continuation of the fourth season’s vibe and a proper upscaling for the concluding season of the series. This show is very important to me and has been for a lot of other people my age; we’ve grown up with it. While it's sad to see this show approach its conclusion, I’m very happy with with its swan song thus far. There are still some moments of iffy dialogue, things that just feel off, which is likely the product of the increased number gaps bridged in the writing this season. It seems with season 5 they may have hit their limit with how much one writer's room can handle while maintaining good quality writing. At this rate, season five definitely resides within the top three of the show! I’d give volume one an average rating of 8.5 out of 10. Given the end of the volume it's clear whatever “fifth-season-funk” may have plagued the writers for the first few episodes is gone, and they're ready to deliver more mysteries, scares, and emotional endings for our favorite characters in volume 2 and 3.

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.

Diving Into Gadabout Season By Ian Sherry 10/23/2025 On June 13, 2025, Brandee Younger released her latest solo LP, Gadabout Season. We have deemed expansion necessary, to new heights, new depths, new mediums, greater variety, and widened horizons. The relationship between demand and results, however, can be trepidatious. (Now switching out of the royal collective) I have been in the lab for you all, ruminating on an expanded product and the potential of a community attached to such a product. For now, you are that community. You are also the face of that torturous monster called Pressure. It’s a monster of my own creation, constructed from the expectations I imagine you all might have for me. Under Pressure is where I’ve done my best work, but his weight is tremendous, difficult to carry. This most recent phase of expansion has forced me to reckon with my inability to lug him any further, examine the ethics of projecting my own lofty expectations onto you readers, and grapple with the fact that pressure may not equate to progress. Pressure makes diamonds. But, is frozen crystal my desired form, or does my path require malleability? Maybe it’s not a push I need after all, but a pull. To run towards something is much different than away. Watching your goals come into view is a sounder reward than watching worries fade slowly into the rearview. The fact is, they can always catch up and present new reasons to move forward. Knowing that, there’s no point in dwelling on their presence, no matter how near, because you may miss something on the path in front of you. As I scanned my path a few months back, I stumbled upon two music courses to complete my journalism-filled collegiate schedule. Yes, I’ve been in the lab, the music lab, and it’s just what the doctor ordered. With just a bit more knowledge, optimism, and moxy than I had yesterday, I bring you my review of Brandee Younger’s 2025 LP, Gadabout Season. Brandee Younger arrived at an interesting time in jazz. A genre in no real danger of dying due to its lack of a single definition, the lines of jazz grow increasingly blurred in the electronic era. How does an artform built on pillars like improvisation and swing survive in a world of endless sonic possibilities where musical form as we know it has been simplified to production software displays, and abstracted, ambient electronic production has become a commonality? How do you wrangle the interest of an audience with shrinking attention spans, access to a skip button, and ears trained to subversive autotune? Well, if anyone can navigate that dilemma it’s Younger. First trained classically at NYU, then as an apprentice of jazz (adjacent) greats like Pharoah Sanders, Ravi Coltrane, John Legend, and The Roots, she gained experience in bridging generations and genres. So, when it came time to go solo, Brandee Younger was more than equipped to form a sound around her chosen chordophone: the harp. In my experience with the harp, its often are used as melodic fill behind the rhythm-driving instruments or overshadowed by horns. Music that solely features harp almost always feels loose and thin – sonically elegant but musically stagnant. That’s a line Younger toes at times on this record. Track 1, “Reckoning,” is a great example of the kind of flourishing and solo melodic blitzing I’ve come to expect from a lead harpist. It’s exciting, but borderline overstimulating and across an entire record it would produce the fatigue that I believe most jazz-avoidant listeners fear. Her presence had to be announced though, so announce it she did. Track 2, “End Means,” moves nicely into the sound of the album and features the versatile flautist Shabaka. The two soloists share the lead role, with Younger playing underneath Shabaka’s runs and quality support from the drums and upright bass, which arrived for the remainder of the record. The title track follows. Placing “Gadabout Season” at 3 makes perfect sense – it’s not a leadoff piece nor the most memorable or captivating, but it’s pleasant mundanity, comfortable quality, and swinging bounce embody the soul of the record. It’s easy to picture Younger cutting this track and knowing it was the bones of something bigger. “Breaking Point” is the first of my favorites. The bass is more present and sonically supportive than on any other piece as it churns out a 2 bar progression, lurching, 4/4 then 2/4 with drums flourishing in between. It’s an aggressive, high-tempo rendition of the swing feeling and Younger wails away with increasing might, steady precision, and decreasing restraint for 2:43. Fifth is “Reflection Eternal” - a melodic breather before the next jumbo composition rolls out of your speaker. Track 6 picks up the light swirling sound of its predecessor with more convincing but infrequent bass support and shimmering drums underneath. The harp carries the tune, touching on the main melody repeatedly then cycling away into pseudo improvision and climbing higher towards the so-called “New Pinnacle.” It’s a grand track to throw in the center of a record, and while it resonates just fine from my speakers at home, I can’t help but imagine hearing it in a big space. “Surrender” features pianist Courtney Bryan. The two trade back and forth, but to the untrained ear the load of strings could be indistinguishable. I’m just now feeling the ability to parse out the harp and it’s horizontally boxed counterpart, but Younger often emulates piano-style notes in her playing on this record making this feature less impactful than the others. “BBL” has some bass to it as well, and if you can’t tell by now I prefer it that way (real bass). To me, the offset provided by a firm bottom like that of track 8 elevates any instrument on top of it. The harp soars more effectively with ground to push off, and when Younger meanders down amongst her accompaniment, as she does on “BBL”, it creates warm, thriving sonic ecosystem. Younger welcomes vocalist Niia into said ecosystem on the dreamy “Unswept Corners.” These corners accumulated the mutual appeal of classical lounge-type music and suave contemporary r&b via the sparse and restrained contributions from all players and the tonal additions of a solid feature. Josh Johnson’s presence was likewise productive on the final track “Discernment.” The somewhat sluggish build of the closer is wiped away by the bulkiness of Johnson’s alto saxophone. He appears all over the track, supporting a reaching Younger on her lengthy and ambitious runs, soaring alongside her at times, and occasionally cutting straight through all the noise to the center of the sound. Another quality contribution to a well-constructed, intentional record. Brandee Younger may not be a musical visionary or Grammy-winning performer, but she is rich in understanding and control of her sound. She knows music. She can conceive it. And she did so with contemporarily uncommon consistency on this 2025 LP. Gadabout Season is a 8.

Diving Into Gadabout Season By Ian Sherry 10/23/2025 On June 13, 2025, Brandee Younger released her latest solo LP, Gadabout Season. We have deemed expansion necessary, to new heights, new depths, new mediums, greater variety, and widened horizons. The relationship between demand and results, however, can be trepidatious. (Now switching out of the royal collective) I have been in the lab for you all, ruminating on an expanded product and the potential of a community attached to such a product. For now, you are that community. You are also the face of that torturous monster called Pressure. It’s a monster of my own creation, constructed from the expectations I imagine you all might have for me. Under Pressure is where I’ve done my best work, but his weight is tremendous, difficult to carry. This most recent phase of expansion has forced me to reckon with my inability to lug him any further, examine the ethics of projecting my own lofty expectations onto you readers, and grapple with the fact that pressure may not equate to progress. Pressure makes diamonds. But, is frozen crystal my desired form, or does my path require malleability? Maybe it’s not a push I need after all, but a pull. To run towards something is much different than away. Watching your goals come into view is a sounder reward than watching worries fade slowly into the rearview. The fact is, they can always catch up and present new reasons to move forward. Knowing that, there’s no point in dwelling on their presence, no matter how near, because you may miss something on the path in front of you. As I scanned my path a few months back, I stumbled upon two music courses to complete my journalism-filled collegiate schedule. Yes, I’ve been in the lab, the music lab, and it’s just what the doctor ordered. With just a bit more knowledge, optimism, and moxy than I had yesterday, I bring you my review of Brandee Younger’s 2025 LP, Gadabout Season. Brandee Younger arrived at an interesting time in jazz. A genre in no real danger of dying due to its lack of a single definition, the lines of jazz grow increasingly blurred in the electronic era. How does an artform built on pillars like improvisation and swing survive in a world of endless sonic possibilities where musical form as we know it has been simplified to production software displays, and abstracted, ambient electronic production has become a commonality? How do you wrangle the interest of an audience with shrinking attention spans, access to a skip button, and ears trained to subversive autotune? Well, if anyone can navigate that dilemma it’s Younger. First trained classically at NYU, then as an apprentice of jazz (adjacent) greats like Pharoah Sanders, Ravi Coltrane, John Legend, and The Roots, she gained experience in bridging generations and genres. So, when it came time to go solo, Brandee Younger was more than equipped to form a sound around her chosen chordophone: the harp. In my experience with the harp, its often are used as melodic fill behind the rhythm-driving instruments or overshadowed by horns. Music that solely features harp almost always feels loose and thin – sonically elegant but musically stagnant. That’s a line Younger toes at times on this record. Track 1, “Reckoning,” is a great example of the kind of flourishing and solo melodic blitzing I’ve come to expect from a lead harpist. It’s exciting, but borderline overstimulating and across an entire record it would produce the fatigue that I believe most jazz-avoidant listeners fear. Her presence had to be announced though, so announce it she did. Track 2, “End Means,” moves nicely into the sound of the album and features the versatile flautist Shabaka. The two soloists share the lead role, with Younger playing underneath Shabaka’s runs and quality support from the drums and upright bass, which arrived for the remainder of the record. The title track follows. Placing “Gadabout Season” at 3 makes perfect sense – it’s not a leadoff piece nor the most memorable or captivating, but it’s pleasant mundanity, comfortable quality, and swinging bounce embody the soul of the record. It’s easy to picture Younger cutting this track and knowing it was the bones of something bigger. “Breaking Point” is the first of my favorites. The bass is more present and sonically supportive than on any other piece as it churns out a 2 bar progression, lurching, 4/4 then 2/4 with drums flourishing in between. It’s an aggressive, high-tempo rendition of the swing feeling and Younger wails away with increasing might, steady precision, and decreasing restraint for 2:43. Fifth is “Reflection Eternal” - a melodic breather before the next jumbo composition rolls out of your speaker. Track 6 picks up the light swirling sound of its predecessor with more convincing but infrequent bass support and shimmering drums underneath. The harp carries the tune, touching on the main melody repeatedly then cycling away into pseudo improvision and climbing higher towards the so-called “New Pinnacle.” It’s a grand track to throw in the center of a record, and while it resonates just fine from my speakers at home, I can’t help but imagine hearing it in a big space. “Surrender” features pianist Courtney Bryan. The two trade back and forth, but to the untrained ear the load of strings could be indistinguishable. I’m just now feeling the ability to parse out the harp and it’s horizontally boxed counterpart, but Younger often emulates piano-style notes in her playing on this record making this feature less impactful than the others. “BBL” has some bass to it as well, and if you can’t tell by now I prefer it that way (real bass). To me, the offset provided by a firm bottom like that of track 8 elevates any instrument on top of it. The harp soars more effectively with ground to push off, and when Younger meanders down amongst her accompaniment, as she does on “BBL”, it creates warm, thriving sonic ecosystem. Younger welcomes vocalist Niia into said ecosystem on the dreamy “Unswept Corners.” These corners accumulated the mutual appeal of classical lounge-type music and suave contemporary r&b via the sparse and restrained contributions from all players and the tonal additions of a solid feature. Josh Johnson’s presence was likewise productive on the final track “Discernment.” The somewhat sluggish build of the closer is wiped away by the bulkiness of Johnson’s alto saxophone. He appears all over the track, supporting a reaching Younger on her lengthy and ambitious runs, soaring alongside her at times, and occasionally cutting straight through all the noise to the center of the sound. Another quality contribution to a well-constructed, intentional record. Brandee Younger may not be a musical visionary or Grammy-winning performer, but she is rich in understanding and control of her sound. She knows music. She can conceive it. And she did so with contemporarily uncommon consistency on this 2025 LP. Gadabout Season is a 8.

UTOPI A 8/4/2023 On July 28, 2023, Travis Scott released his fourth solo album, UTOPIA . Finally. Travis Scott is one of the most prolific production-focused rappers of all time, and one of the most important figures in the music industry today. From his instant classic albums Rodeo and ASTROWORLD to his various chart-topping singles, he’s had a serious impact on the mainstream of rap, at points rising to heights of popularity no rapper has seen since Kanye West’s prime. His impact stretches beyond numbers and popularity too. His songwriting and production skills have been an asset to many studios, but most importantly, his musical versatility and range of influences have played a huge role in bridging the gap between production giants like West and Metro Boomin. Scott is an industry fixture, but it’s been a minute since we’ve heard that signature style of his. It’s no secret that Travis Scott needed some time away following the tragic events of the Astroworld Festival. He found himself in the center of a unique kind of controversy, one that no doubt weighs on him as heavy as nearly anyone else. As a fan it's a hard thing to navigate, and as the artist himself I’d imagine it's nearly impossible. That did concern me for several reasons. Scott thrives when he’s smack in the middle of the industry action. ASTROWORLD is one of the most successful pop/rap albums ever, and a big reason for that is the timing. Scott nailed the sound of the time, brought in the right features, and added his unique set of tools. It simply wouldn’t have been possible if he wasn’t so ‘in the know’. So, naturally, I was concerned he couldn’t replicate it while avoiding the spotlight (not that a man of Scott’s popularity and associations could ever disappear completely). Fortunately, Scott answered many of my lingering questions when the extensive UTOPIA rollout began. A rollout which, by the way, got on my nerves just a bit. Just give me the music Travis. But, I have to admit his strategy paid off. Instead of attempting to capture pop and rap in a bottle once again, Scott moved out of Astroworld and built a new one: UTOPIA. Travis Scott chose to begin his 2023 release with “HYAENA” . The energy, pace, and atmosphere do a good job of introducing UTOPIA . It’s just hectic enough to engage the listener but not so much that it loses them off the bat. Track 2 continues to settle into the same vibe. “THANK GOD” , while it isn’t one of the strongest songs on the album, does its job. To me, it takes too long to catch its groove, and although it does to an extent in the end, I don’t think it works outside of this chronological context. Speaking of context, “MODERN JAM” isn’t concerned with that. It’s a fun song, Teezo Touchdown is good for that, and it feels like Scott had fun making it. To be clear, the general sound is the same, as is much of this sonically coordinated album. It’s just the pace, intention, and vibe that are responsible for the shock. Maybe shock is what Travis Scott wanted here. The beat walks along nicely and the vocal effects are great. This definitely feels like the first song Scott wants his listeners to bring out of UTOPIA and into their playlists. In another somewhat jarring transition, Scott follows track 3 with “MY EYES” . An immediately different feel, this song is Scott’s best since ASTROWORLD . It resides within the sound of the album but executes something completely different. A spacey synth sits on top of a mild drum and bassline, as a muddied Justin Vernon vocal guides track 4 into its first verse. Scott drops in a pretty average verse, but pitches and tunes his vocal to the point that it's just another tool painting the ambient soundscape. The chorus hits and Vernon chimes in for another line as the beat begins to switch. Travis Scott’s first beat switch of the album is perfectly executed. A new faded sample sits over the top and the ambience grows louder, as does the new drum and bass fueled low end. Scott’s second verse sinks into the middle of the mix, allowing the beat to rock and the pace to catch on completely, leading perfectly into track 5. This is the epitome of what Travis Scott has given himself the opportunity to do from a production standpoint on UTOPIA . It’s the Utopian sound. THE LOW-END If you followed the UTOPIA rollout as closely as I did, you’d be very interested to hear how it sounds. You’d also be relieved to find that it does have a distinct sound. However, I think calling it the ‘Utopian’ sound is counterintuitive in a sense. This isn’t to say I don’t enjoy it, but the implication is that this is Travis Scott’s musical sweetspot, his Utopia. One he could settle down in forever. I disagree. While it is certainly a strong and polished mix of his catalog’s strongest sounds and influences, this is just one stop on the road. But, it’s an interesting stop so let’s go deeper. The key to this sound, as far as I can track it, comes down to the low-end. ASTROWORLD ’s strength was in the airiness of the production; UTOPIA has none of that. Its grimy industrial feel is the product of diluted soundbites, endless layering, and prominent drums that come together in an organized clutter, and it feeds into one of Scott’s biggest influences (keep reading for more on that, sucker). The only reason these moving parts are able to combine so cohesively is because the low-end is there to center the listener. “SIRENS” is a great example. The beat builds on a rising sample of New England’s “Explorer Suite” and a blown out sample of Amanaz’s “Nsunka Lwendo” . The drums rise to the top of the sound, leaving just the bass on the bottom. With all the sound swirling atop the vocals, the listener could easily get swept up and taken out of the groove at the hands of audible chaos, but because of the strong baseline, the ear has something to return to. The bass is primarily looped underneath, and its consistent presence subtly holds the listeners ear down just enough to keep them on rhythm. It works, as does the Utopian sound. Moving chronologically, Track 5 is another one of those album-worthy songs that may not stand up outside this context. I like “GOD'S COUNTRY” , even though it isn’t a Blake Shelton cover. It ups the energy a bit coming out of “MY EYES” and leads nicely into “SIRENS”. “SIRENS” is a bit of a new look for Scott. Working with dual samples, the disjointed sample-work comes together into a beat that is plausibly within his reach but not something we’d heard prior to UTOPIA. Scott’s performance is alright for what it is. On a song like this, he just needed to keep up, lyrics go by the wayside. In many ways this is what Lil Uzi Vert was trying to accomplish on their last album. They should’ve spent some more time with Travis Scott. Back on topic, “SIRENS” finishes with a fun little skit in which Travis Scott declares his hotel room Utopia; I guess it had nothing to do with music after all. Drake time! I have never been more excited to hear Drake than when he spoke his first line on “MELTDOWN” . It must be because his and Scott’s previous collaborations include “SICKO MODE” and “Bubbly” . Immediately I am hoping for a chart-topping track 7 complete with fun verses and a beat switch. I’ll have to check back on the charts in a week, but my wishlist was otherwise covered. Drake delivers my favorite verse of his in a long while. Firing shot after shot in a voice just above a whisper, he made his mark. Travis Scott matches him, grinding along with a simple but polished trap beat. Scott uses the hook to switch up the beat a couple times and his verses keep the energy going. It’s a good sign when the artist has complete control over their audience, and Scott has claimed it at this point in the album, as track 8 rolls in. “FE!N” gives the listener no time to recover from “MELTDOWN”. The high-octane Playboi Carti feature sparks the fire that the bass-boosted beat continues to fuel. His impact is so big that it’s hard to tell it’s a Travis Scott song, in a good way. “DELRESTO (ECHOES)” is a similar situation. Travis Scott does such a great job of fusing UTOPIA and Beyonce’s RENAISSANCE , it’s hard to tell whose album this is. Scott's verse follows a classic Beyonce opening verse. He holds his own, singing the first part then rapping for the remainder of what feels more like a Travis Scott feature on a Beyonce song. If you liked Beyonce’s 2022 project, this may likely be your favorite song on UTOPIA, and the way Justin Vernon finishes it off, I couldn’t blame you one bit. THE CHAMELEON There’s a rumor that UTOPIA will be the last solo rap project Travis Scott releases. This means, supposedly, that he will turn to straight production. Naturally, upon hearing this my gut reaction was disappointment. However, as I listened to this record with that in the back of my mind, disappointment turned to excitement. This is partially because the idea of his production skills showing up more often on other artists’ projects is extremely enticing, but even more so because Travis Scott is a chameleon. UTOPIA , despite its generally laser focused soundscape and consistent stylistic choices, displays a great deal of diversity in Scott’s performances to go with subtle shifts in the production. Scott is not the most technically strong rapper, but he knows that. That’s why he often leans into his signature delivery: autotune supported by adlibs (though he shows it less on this record). However, he also has a keen awareness that this doesn’t fit every musical scenario he whips up. That’s when he, especially on this record, begins to utilize his influences. Kanye’s influence is forefront in lot’s of Scott’s rapping, but he showed more on this record. I heard Joey Bada$$'s (or is it Bada$$'$) influence down the stretch of “SKITZO” and on “LOOOVE” Scott’s performance skews towards Kid Cudi who is featured on the song. “I KNOW?” is the best example. This is the closest to an ASTROWORLD song we get on this album. It has more air in the production than the rest of the album. This calls for a more filling vocal performance, which usually results in features. Scott decides to go for no features and delivers my favorite performance of his on the album. The chorus, which provides just the right amount of breathing room for this kind of uninterrupted beat, is a page straight from Drake’s book. It sets him up for his signature delivery on the first verse, but knowing 3:30 of this can get repetitive, he switches his delivery again. For the second verse he taps into The Migos’ book, flipping back and forth between bubbly autotune and a more restrained untouched vocal painted with adlibs. He even throws in some whispered adlibs for the length of the song reminiscent of Kendrick on Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers . It’s one of the strongest songs on the album, and although it seems like it was by committee, it’s all just Travis Scott. Scott’s ability to shift around vocally not only allows him to create a more interesting solo album, theoretically, it could help him slot into more diverse features. This would be a great tool for any of his future projects as a producer who might feature on his own beats. Which reminds me, his chameleon in ability is not limited to rapping. Scott did a great job on UTOPIA of creating different sounds within his own, depending on who he had in the studio. From his NYC hardcore style sample-work on “LOST FOREVER” with the help of The Alchemist, to the perfect RENAISSANCE impression on “DELRESTO (ECHOES)”, Scott has an ability to accommodate any artist he might want to. It’s notable to say the least. Track 10, “I KNOW?” , is the second Drake feature on the album. Oh, I’m sorry, that’s just Travis Scott singing the chorus. Beyond Scott’s vocal shapeshifting, what caught my eye here is the adlibs. Scott seems to have decided to shy away from his signature autotuned-adlib delivery until “I KNOW?”. Something I didn’t see coming, and although I have no issues with his vocal deliveries in general on this album, when he executes like he does on this song his verses never fall flat. There are lots of ways to deliver energy in a rap verse, this is just Travis Scott’s most consistent shot in my opinion. Travis Scott knows how to make a really catchy song for most hip-hop audiences. Track 11 covers another audience. This is my first intentional experience with Rob49, and he brings a certain energy to the beginning of “TOPIA TWINS” . I was questioning the direction of the song when Rob49 jumped in how he did. I liked it, but there was no verse even close to that direction on UTOPIA to that point. I should’ve known 21 Savage could match it. 21 is one of the best feature rappers ever and this is no exception. He steps into the beat perfectly, bridging the admittedly different energies presented by Travis Scott and Rob49, and making “TOPIA TWINS” the fifth straight stand-alone song. Before I even get into “CIRCUS MAXIMUS” , I’ll say this makes six. I like The Weeknd and what he brings to the music industry, but when I saw his name I rolled my eyes. Scott did a really tasteful job of incorporating different sounds into his without departing what makes this album itself to this point, but I figured this was the end. The Weeknd’s sound, at its best, is ultra clean and lives in the high end of the mix. His Canadian vocals soar on top of well produced pop/r&b instrumentals. In his early days he showed the ability to touch on hip-hop, on House of Balloons especially, but that was a long time ago and he hasn’t been back there in his current form. Of course, Travis Scott pulled him right back. Swae Lee leads into track 12 nicely, and rising synths sit on top of the drums as Scott’s middling verse serves to build tension, accompanied by some background screaming. Then one of the purest voices in music today cuts in. The Weeknd provides a temporary release in tension, but the beat revamps and continues to build. The ultimate result is one of the most epic sounds on the album, and another success for Scott. In most cases on this album Scott’s ability to seamlessly accommodate an artist is what makes the song; here it’s The Weeknd’s ability to adapt, despite having an unbeatable formula within his solo work. Hats off to both artists, and Swae Lee too I suppose. THE YEEZUS EFFECT I’m tired of comparing UTOPIA to Travis Scott’s previous albums. Let’s involve one of his greatest influences for a change. Kanye West. West is no-doubt a trailblazer in the rapper/producer lane he and Travis Scott embody, as are artists like Dr. Dre, Eminem, Pharrell Williams, even El-P. The difference is this: nobody but West has touched a sound like this at this level of popularity. In 2013, as he was approaching what to this point has been his peak, West released Yeezus . Many consider this industrial hip-hop concept album to be West’s masterpiece. It set new standards across hip-hop for not only what an artist could attempt to do musically, but what they ought to attempt musically. We don’t get albums like Kendrick Lamar’s Pulitzer winning album DAMN. or Tyler The Creator’s Grammy winning album IGOR without Yeezus . I won’t pretend UTOPIA is on that level, but the musical similarities are uncanny at times; Scott was definitely channeling Kanye West’s 2013 self this year. Industrial is the key word in this comparison. Not only do both artists have a command of the music industry itself on these projects, they feel sonically like they’ve been pulled into a machine. Their gritty metallic feel is relentless throughout both projects, and while both albums tend to keep the listener on edge, their sounds are captivating. Given, there are stylistic differences between the two, as there would be with any two mammoth producers. West will never hit a triple beat switch and Scott will never sample something the way West does Nina Simone on “Blood On The Leaves” . In fact sample work is one of the biggest differentiators between the two. West often uses them for color or as an aid to the chorus, where Scott bakes them into the beat more often, especially on UTOPIA. However, on Yeezus we see West utilize samples more similar to Scott. “Sen d It Up” is one of the more underrated songs on Yeezus and it happens to be a great example. The siren that sounds and then loops becomes the basis for the entire beat as the drum machine adds rhythm and the bass supports it on alternating beats. The vocal sinks into the middle of the mix, which is unusual on Yeezus where the vocals are usually prioritized in the mix. “SIRENS” does a similar thing and perfectly encapsulates UTOPIA ’s sweetspot. The similarities don’t stop there. From Justin Vernon’s presence on both projects to the drums on “CIRCUS MAXIMUS” and “Black Skinhead” the influence is clear and the overlap is real. Listen to Travis Scott’s “Coffee Bean” and compare it to “SIRENS” or Kanye West’s “All Falls Down” and compare it to “Hold My Liquor” . Both artists were out of their prior comfort zones, and both artists overlap in the same uncharted territory ten years apart. Admittedly, Kanye West’s highpoints on Yeezus are borderline unmatched, but that’s due for the most part to the pure size of his sound. It’s just bigger, and therefore less polished at times. In fact, I wouldn’t hesitate to say Scott’s new project is the cleaner of the two. Is it better? No, but I believe it scratches an itch that Yeezus can’t, and vice versa. Kanye West walked so Travis Scott could draft in his wake and eventually run next to him. UTOPIA is that side-by-side moment. When you think of Travis Scott, there’s one other name that always comes to mind. A man who, if he’s not featured on a Scott project, leaves a gaping hole that no artist can fill. That man, of course, is Dave Chapelle. Not. I wasn’t sure what to think seeing Chapelle’s name on the feature list but I didn’t expect “PARASAIL” . A song which features Yung Lean as well. This seems like a disastrous musical combo, yet somehow Scott pulled it together into something. That thing is closer to an interlude than anything else, but it's something. Chapelle speaks of the ups and downs of fame through a murky vocal filter, and Scott and Yung Lean follow with some autotuned babbling. It’s a nice break in the sonic intensity of the last few songs and simultaneously one of the most obviously on-topic songs of the whole project. In short, track 13 is a nice touch. From the shortest to the longest track, “SKITZO” is a production clinic. Scott perfectly sets the stage for Young Thug, before taking track 14 to another level. Its twists and turns account for a little over six minutes of music, which isn't for every mood. However, in this context I think it works, and I wouldn’t be surprised to have Travis Scott fans highlight this as one of the more important tracks on UTOPIA a few years down the line. I’ll tell you why shortly. THE BEAT SWITCH On an album where Scott shied away from central elements of his previous projects, one signature tool was still present. The beat switch may be Scott’s most easily recognizable contribution to the modern rap scene. A strategy popularized by his 2018 smash hit album, ASTROWORLD , the beat switch allows an artist to change the pace, focus, and sound of the song seamlessly when executed properly. It seems like following his success everyone needed a beat switch, from Drake to Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem. “On My Dis Side” and “SICKO MODE” are both legendary examples of Scott’s ability to execute his patented beat switches, and he added to that list this year. “MY EYES” is one of the more mellow tracks to begin with, featuring a garbled pre-chorus and stripped down instrumental. It’s touching in a way, leaning into the emotional ambience you might find on a Frank Ocean or James Blake track, but then the beat switch hits. Scott starts to pipe in filler sound in order to build the drums on the bottom of the mix. Then as the song reaches its decibel high-point he jumps in with a rap verse. The verse breaks a flow that could have become sleepy if it continued too long and raises the energy without changing the vibe of the song. Perfect execution. “MELTDOWN” provides another version of Scott’s signature strategy. Drake mentions right off the bat that tensions are rising; he’s right. The track is tightly wound and Drake’s whispered delivery adds to that effect until the second his verse ends and Scott pipes in the horns. The tension in the beat doesn’t release as the drums and baseline remain the same, but over the course of his verse Scott subtly switches the horns to the primary loop of the beat. Then he hits a full switch at the 2:30 mark. Leading himself in with the chorus, Scott jumps into his second straight verse, which escorts the listener straight through the end of one of UTOPIA ’s strongest tracks. I was thrilled to see Young Thug featured on "SKITZO". Scott set Thug up perfectly for his verse, although he should've cut his own first verse. On the positive side of things, the first beat switch provides a fairly seamless transition out of a potentially repetitive groove and bridges the second beat switch. The second switch is a more traditional Travis Scott beat switch, breaking down the beat and rebuilding it right in your ear. While Scott’s third verse isn’t much of a change of pace vocally, it moves along nicely into the third beat switch where he does provide some vocal diversity at the drop of a pin. The Joey Bada$$ style finish to “SKITZO” left me looking back to the Young Thug start. Of course I wish it was one verse shorter, but Scott’s ability to navigate between two dissimilar sides of the modern rap spectrum through a series of well-executed switches is unmatched. Travis Scott didn’t invent the beat switch, but he’s perfected it. Now for one of my proudest music listening moments of the year, “LOST FOREVER” . As track 15 rolled around, Scott pulled out a classic soul sample. This isn’t really his specialty, but the Chuck Senrick sample is executed well. After introducing the sample, he begins to build the beat, and something about the beat made me think ‘I want to hear Westside Gunn on this’. Then there he was! Clearly Scott did a great job of setting the stage for Gunn, and he delivered on the feature. It’s just a solid Pray for Paris type of song, but hearing it in slot 15 of UTOPIA really set me off (the only note I wrote was YES). “LOOOVE” is one of the most entertaining performances from Scott on the whole album. The beat is in your face, or ear, immediately and so is Travis Scott. He lays down the hook right away, then uses it to roll into his first verse before cutting the beat in favor of a weird noise break (I don’t know what else to call it). When he reintroduces the beat it’s a more tame version. It’s more listenable but because of the full restart it starts to feel a little long by the time it gets to the Kid Cudi feature. The feature is nice, but I was already moving on by the time it came. Now comes “K-POP” . Bad Bunny is the biggest artist in the world, and I get it. He’s palatable to different audiences, he’s an interesting performer, he seems to be a nice young man, but frankly his music is just fine to me. He is the benefactor (or victim) of mass appeal which locks him in a certain lane that scratches no particular itch of mine. He is better than other artists who fall into that category, but his feature doesn’t excite me. “K-POP”, despite a second solid performance from The Weeknd, slots right in with nearly any other Bad Bunny song. It’s fine. “TELEKINESIS” is essentially the US hip hop/r&b version of its predecessor. Future is another one of those sonically inoffensive artists that gets by formulaically. While I prefer his best songs to Bad Bunny, this song falls shorter than his. The SZA feature at the tail end is a nice touch, but if you spray the bathroom with Febreze and don’t flush, you aren’t really solving the problem. THE COMPLAINTS This has been an almost entirely positive review because I really enjoyed the album and am pleased with the result. However, because I have a holistically pessimistic outlook on the world, I have to interject with some negativity. This seems like as good a place as any. First, as someone who clearly put a lot of thought into album curation, why are Travis Scott’s transitions occasionally awful? A loosely themed album like UTOPIA doesn’t necessarily have to flow perfectly, but the transitions between 2 and 3, 3 and 4, and 11 and 12 are completely disjointed. I could go on but I’ll keep it simple: it’s baffling. Second, Scott does a fantastic job of feature placement for most of the album, until he doesn’t. The features from Teezo Touchdown , Drake, Beyonce, Young Thug, Westside Gunn, 21 Savage, and of course James Blake are all placed perfectly. However, on tracks 16-18 it falls apart. Kid Cudi is always welcome, and Scott does cater his vocal performance towards Cudi, but realistically his verse could have been any rapper. “LOOOVE” was not constructed in a way that Cudi’s price tag could justify anything he might add. I would rather have seen that go towards a feature on “I KNOW?”. Don Toliver would’ve been perfect. “LOOOVE” is immediately followed by “K-POP”. ‘Bad Bunny and The Weeknd on the same song, that’s the biggest artist in the world and one of the biggest in the US, it’ll be a smash hit!’. That’s exactly, to the word, what Travis Scott said (in my head) when his label superiors handed him those features to work with. Track 17 feels inorganic and off theme. It’s a fine song, but, with two artists of that caliber and level of popularity, “K-POP” couldn’t have been bad. At the end of the day, the box is checked and as listeners we can move on without much thought. Then, there’s the crime that’s “TELEKINESIS”. Future is a fine rapper. He has a generally leisurely autotune-heavy delivery which contrasts perfectly with his lyrical messages. This delivery works very well in certain settings, particularly when the beat forms a perfect pocket for him to sit in. If that doesn’t make sense listen to “The Percocet & Stripper Joint” (fun name) or “Colossal” . Both great examples of him riding a beat to its completion, which is why he works well with a producer like Zaytoven. However, when he doesn’t have one of those comfortable pockets he accounts for some of the most boring, uninspiring, middling rap music known to the mainstream, and it’s well known. Travis Scott knows how known Future is, and he knows that a good way to get an audience through the 18th song of a 19 song album is to plug him and SZA back there. Mr. Scott, you're absolutely correct in this assumption; but, as a friend, next time you want to throw SZA (who kills every feature) on a song for streams, please don’t make it such a boring one. That’s all. “TILL FURTHER NOTICE” is a great title for what could be Travis Scott’s last song on a solo rap album. It certainly left a good taste in my mouth, which is the key for a song like this. 21 Savage lays down his second great feature of the album, better than the first, and James Blake’s feature is a great touch. Blake is probably my favorite Travis Scott collaborator. His production credits tend to pop up on great Scott songs and they feature nicely on one another's projects. “STOP TRYING TO BE GOD” and “Mile High” are great songs. Basically, he’s a great person to help usher out this era of Travis Scott. Scott’s last verse is nothing crazy, but like most of his Utopian performances, it’s solid. It makes me want more, but simultaneously leaves me excited for his next step; to me that’s a great finish. If you’re not tired of me yet, let me wrap things up for you. Travis Scott’s 2023 release was one of the most anticipated albums of the year, and one of the most anticipated rap albums of the last three years. I think he safely slots into a category occupied by artists like Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, J Cole, and Drake. Looking at the releases from these artists the last three years, Donda and Donda 2 , Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers , The Offseason , and Certified Lover Boy , Honestly Nevermind , and Her Loss respectively, I think UTOPIA is the strongest. Scott continued to take steps forward, with the awareness that he didn’t need to part with his comfort zone. Does he have the lyrical and thematic focus of Lamar or Cole? No. Does he have the industry firepower of West? Not quite. Does he have the rabid audience of Drake? No. But he has enough of all three and more, and that places him atop these albums. UTOPIA is an album that simultaneously thrives in consistency and diversity. This is a formula that serves the greatest musical acts of all time, from The Rolling Stones to D’Angelo. All I’m saying is Scott is on the right track. It’s not ground-breaking, it may not be a top album of the year, it probably isn’t his best, but it's solid. I’d encourage anyone to give it a listen, unless you want 19 songs worth of Dave Chapelle. There’s only one on this album. UTOPIA is a 7.5/10

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.

THE BEST ALBUMS OF 2022 1/20/23 BY: Ian Sherry Making top ten lists, especially when there are as many options in a given category as there are in this one, is plain stupid. So here is mine. Honorable Mentions All of these albums are really solid but fell short of the list for some reason or another. However, they are all worth a listen. The Forever Story, JID Melt My Eyez See Your Future , Denzel Curry The Boy Named If , Elvis Costello Ants From Up There , Black Country New Road Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You , Big Thief Fear Of The Dawn , Jack White THE LIST 10. I Didn't Mean To Haunt You , Quadeca Let me start by saying that Quadeca is only 22 years old, yet, he has already undergone a full metamorphosis as a musician. He began his career as a YouTuber and transitioned into making uninspiring and unimpressive rap music. However, something switched in his head; he realized just how important music is to him as well as what he is capable of. His 2021 project showed signs of his capabilities as he began to switch into a wildly different musical space than that of his 2019 project. On I Didn’t Mean To Haunt You , Quadeca has fully arrived. While it isn’t as polished as the remaining albums on this list, he attacks the concept he chose and delivers numerous performances that nobody could’ve seen coming just three years ago. This album is at times touching, even overwhelming, and his dedication and embrace of his vision is what made it all possible. Best Song: "Born Yesterday" 9. SOS , SZA The last few years there has been a specific sub-genre forming somewhere in between pop and R&B. People like Summer Walker, Ella Mai, and Jhene Aiko have all been major artists, but SZA is leading the charge. Because of her position of influence with the blossoming genre, SZA had a lot of pressure on her leading up to this release. In my opinion she has the responsibility of leading this young and popular sub-genre in the right direction. Often artists in this vein of music have a tendency to make enjoyable, but ultimately safe and somewhat bland music. SZA decided to take risks on SOS and it paid off. The second two thirds of the album marks some of her most creative work to date. A few well placed and unexpected features mixed in with her ability to meander across pop-adjacent genres earns SZA the number nine spot on this year's list. Best Song: "Open Arms" 8. Once Twice Melody , Beach House Beach House is well-established at this point. They are experts of their craft and are able to consistently deliver what their fans are looking for. However, they occasionally seem to play it safe. They found their unique sound and are comfortable staying there. This album is a great step forward. They didn’t depart from their bread and butter, however they did improve upon it. We hear different vocal styles and more rangy instrumentals than expected. At a time where they did not need to do anything special, they took good steps creatively to deliver a very well rounded album. If you enjoy gentle vocals and atmospheric production, this album is for you without a doubt. Best Song: "Pink Funeral" 7. age/sex/location , Ari Lennox This is just a great album. Admittedly I did not know much about Ari Lennox going into this album; now, I do. She is a versatile artist with a great voice who feels comfortable in every style she tries on age/sex/location. Right off the bat she reminded me of Erykah Badu and Beyonce. She has the attitude, clever verses, and vocal tone of Erykah Badu on occasion, and she combines that with runs and spoken hooks that Beyonce loves to utilize as well. Ari’s usage of base reminds me of Adi Oasis as well, if you’re not familiar with her and like this album you should check her out next. She is very effective when moving between influences and different styles, and that is a big reason why this album is great. All of the featured artists do their job and the result is a great sophomore album from an artist that can bring listeners together from different sides of the contemporary R&B spectrum. Best Song: "Leak It" 6. It’s Almost Dry , Pusha T I listen to a lot of rap, and there were a lot of great albums this year. However, only one of them was a top ten album. On It’s Almost Dry , Pusha T reaffirms the fact that he has one of the most prolific deliveries in the rap industry. He continued on the roll he started with Daytona four years ago and did so with superstar producers Pharrell Williams and Kanye West. The production has fingerprints of these great artists all over it, but Pusha T makes sure to put his own stamp on it first and foremost. Though it doesn’t quite measure up to the all time great Daytona , it's great to see him in the same creative space four years later operating at that same high skill level. All of the features are good and its ‘worst’ songs are still ones that Pusha T fans will enjoy. Best Song: "Dreamin Of The Past" 5. Gemini Rights , Steve Lacy If you ask a given person what they think of Lacy’s 2022 album they are likely to respond one of three ways. They either have never heard of it, think it's the album of the year, or hate it with a passion. I think it's certainly up there. Steve’s first two albums after breaking off from The Internet, a band where he was the lead guitarist, were interesting but ultimately fell short much of the time. They were cluttered and seemed to need more time to mature into a fuller sound. He was not discouraged. Gemini Rights is a polished and creative album that can be enjoyed by a wide range of audiences. The contempt for this album mostly stems from the vast overplaying of its hit single "Bad Habit". In reality this is not a top song on the album. Though Steve is probably the weakest vocalist of the top five, he seems to be one of the most musically knowledgeable. He has a fantastic ability to cohesively mix instruments that are staples of a variety of genres, such as the trumpet and of course, the guitar. I am excited to see what he does going forward. Even though this was a well rounded album, I think further polishing could place him at the top of his field. Best Song: "Sunshine" 4. RENAISSANCE , Beyonce With RENAISSANCE , Beyonce has completed the elusive perfect three album run. This isn’t to say every song on all of them is perfect, but the evolution of her music and quality of her last three studio releases earned her this fictional honor. Beyonce , Lemonade , and RENAISSANCE are all fantastic, but RENAISSANCE definitely is my favorite. She incorporates elements of EDM and club dance beats perfectly into this pop album. She sings over these beats like it's nothing and nails a style that I never expected her to touch. She had no reason to try it other than it was part of her creative vision. I am thankful for her bravery at a point in her career where she could coast and sell records with ease. That all being said, the only reason this isn’t a number one album is because it has two of the weakest songs on this entire list. On top of that, I never thought I would compile a list like this in which Beyonce’s vocals are second best, but this year they are. That all being said, it's an incredibly bold and well executed album that everyone should listen to if they haven’t yet. Best Song: "VIRGO’S GROOVE" 3. Lucifer On The Sofa , Spoon Spoon. They’re really good and all, but I never thought they would be in this spot this year. If you like rock this is exactly what you need. It has been a while in my opinion, since there was an amazing archetypal rock release. As the album progressed I enjoyed each song more and more. These songs are familiar in the best possible way, as if people have been listening to this record for years. Lucifer On The Sofa is very well executed and curated. It's ten songs and each one of them is different enough to switch things up but not so much that it doesn’t flow perfectly. They have a grimy instrumental feel but the tracks as a whole are smooth and perfectly paced. Britt Daniel’s vocals remind me of Bowie at times because they have significant texture but are easy to listen to and feel elevated. The album flies by. I think this is their best release and the only reason it isn’t in the number one spot is that I just want more than ten songs. Ten is nothing to scoff at but all of the top three are great and there’s just less on Lucifer On The Sofa. I flipped a coin to pick the best song on this album. Then I flipped it for like four other songs. It's so good. Listen to this album. Best Song: "The Devil & Mister Jones" 2. MOTOMAMI, Rosalia Rosalia is a force of nature. If you aren’t acquainted with her yet, get ready. The Spanish singer is the best vocalist on the list this year, and I was blown away by this album. Of the top four, her album is the least cohesive and I saw complaints about the lack of flow and centralized themes. My argument is this: this album is a showcase of the incredible talent that is Rosalia and the theme is exactly that. At any given point you might hear a touching and beautifully performed song followed by an upbeat dance track, and that might be followed by an abstract beat with spoken verses. She is versatile. She is entertaining. She is exactly what pop music needs. In the last few years mainstream music has seen the ride of acts like Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, and Olivia Rodrigo. As talented as they are in their lanes, none can touch the pure talent and versatility of Rosalia. Is it the most well rounded album? No, but it showcases more than any other album on this list. This is another album that’s so good I can’t pick a song. I will anyway but know that it won’t fully encapsulate everything that she accomplishes on this record. Best Song: "Sakura" 1. Wet Leg, Wet Leg This is the album of the year. Every single song is perfect. I don’t listen to much indie pop, so my opinion is an inexperienced one, but this is the best album I’ve ever heard in this genre. They have great vocals, creative, diverse song structure, and witty lyrics. Listening to them makes me happy, but they have the ability to steer your mood in different directions depending on their well written lyrics. They tell stories both with their words and their instrumentals. With this much talent it's no surprise that they caught a lot of media attention. They appeared on TV and on indie radio stations everywhere, spreading the word about this incredible project. I could go on and on, but I’ll keep it simple. They deliver everything you could want from a group like them. The craziest part? It's their debut. This is the album of the year. Best Song: "Chaise Longue" My closing thoughts are these: If any of these interest you please listen to them. If you disagree with me you’re wrong. If you disagree with the Grammy nominations or winners you’re right. And, this was a great year of music.

Before The World Blows BY IAN THOMAS SHERRY 9/18/2026 On August 28, in cahoots with The Alchemist, Erykah Badu released her first studio album in 16 years, Before The World Blows . On September 11, 2026, I had the pleasure of seeing the duo live. SETTING THE STAGE It’s been a decade since Ms. Badu’s cell phone-centered concept EP, But You Caint Use My Phone (’16), and her digitimaterial focus has only sharpened in the time since (yes, I made that word up). If you’re lucky enough to see ‘The Abby & Al Experience’ live, like I have, you’d immediately see what I mean. The set consisted of two beds on the far right and left connected by a circular cushion that stretched the back perimeter of the stage, all white, kinda freaky. Two spotlights switch on, and there they are – Abby n Al in their respective beds, Erykah Badu outfitted in red heels, a white trench coat, and a blonde wig, which she’d chuck, and The Alchemist in the boyish black hoodie – speaking to each other ‘on the phone,’ hatching a plan. Quickly, The Alchemist retreated to the platform hidden at the top of the set beside his dark-dressing-DJ counterparts, and the beats began. SOUND REASONING The lines between Abby and Al go back to a wannabe Alchemist selling weed to Badu’s mentor and career-breaker D’Angelo and follow the gyre of neo soul to its current resting place, in the palms of women like Ms. Badu. Her hands have been anything but idle in the years since soul’s sound slipped away. If you caught the two-part New AmErykah series (’08, ’10), or her last LP, you’ll notice Badu’s increased interest in digital hip-hop production. Each record was en vogue, impressive for an aging genre-crossing solo artist, but each aged quickly. Met with the task of creating an updated, lasting product and continually interested in marrying analog hip-hop and modern digital production, Abby went to Al. THE GOODS They played the album in order (with bonus tracks interwoven), starting with the ethereal (Track 1) “Echoes.” As the album chimes and whirs to life, Erykah Badu’s singular aesthetic descends upon this decade of music. Lyrically, she comes out muthafuckin firing: “Ah, if we can't agree on the God we pick / Then, my God / Let's at least agree on this snare and kick / (Red, yellow, black, white, or brown) / Oh, if you can't love the one you with / Ah, then you ain't her God, mm / (Red, yellow, black, white, or brown) / Ah, John Lennon said / “They treat women like the n- of the world,” yes, he did / (So watch how you trеat your girl) / Ah, 'cause the future looking odd thеse days That's on Tyler, Frank, and Earl .” This opening lyrical rampage is more musically dynamic than your Spotify streaming quality can capture; but live, as the synths soared, beat lurched, and Badu wailed through her autotune I was met with a bombastic opening track (only rivaled by Action Bronson’s “Live From The Moon” in my concert-going experience). 7 minutes later it gives way to (Track 2) “I Just Play A Part.” Initially my favorite, and certainly the most climactic song on the record, the first of two Westside Gunn features consists of purely gun sounds for effect as the Clintonian techneo anthem roars to life. Badu picks a cadence and rolls with it for two minutes, until she runs out of bars and resorts to a scream solo that rips at the fabric of the track until it splits and the beat switches for DJ Creole Princess to spit a silky verse. (Track 4) “Witch Doctor” was this record’s lead single and the first look at Abby and Al’s sound. The lurching bassline’s rumblin nicely backs Badu’s mumblin and the simple but syncopated melody allows the entire track to swing in cadence with Badu’s words, before giving way to a hand drum solo which she performed alone at center stage to the crowd’s excitement. The stop and go effect of “Witch Doctor” was something to behold live. The crowd, including myself, floated entranced by her witchly wordplay, and by the end I knew all the lyrics. The sentimental being that I am, (Track 6) “Next 2 U,” which samples Mobb Deep’s “The Realest,” plucked my heartstrings on first listen, and has since burned itself into my brain. “I-IIIIIII wanna smoke blunts with you” too Erykah. (Track 7) “Love Me Not” details the uncertain progression of a relationship before giving way to a tape of Ms. Badu getting her booty waxed – thrilling stuff really – but it was easy to see why she chose to go a different direction for this portion of the show. In place of Track 7, The Alchemist descended to perform a medley of “Life Is Beautiful” and “Hold You Down” (both covers of originals he produced). FLASHBACK When Al was done, attention returned to Abby and her soundboard at center stage. She starts, 'You know, they say 90s babies were born with an irregular heartbeat… and it sounds like this,' - dundun duuuun, dundun duuuun – the first notes of the iconic, immediately recognized, “On & On.” As the crowd revved to life, Erykah Badu, filling with the energy and spirit of her youth as it poured out of the crowd back into her, began to deliver by far her most authoritative, studio-similar, and frankly legendary pair of performances of the night as she medleyed into “Didn’t Ya Know” with ease. When I saw Erykah Badu tour Mama’s Gun a year ago, in the climactic confines of the Fox Theater, she delivered every individual performance with the aforementioned moxie. Not only did this year’s venue, Freedom Hill, lack any sonic containment for her vocals, this year’s album doesn’t feature any such performances. To avoid belaboring my point, allow me to state with absolute certainty: Erykah Badu is 55 years old and holding back (no doubt conserving energy for the arrival of aliens). Badu returned to the tracklist and concluded her flashback with a mashup of (Track 8) “Breezy” (the album’s toughest listen) and “Bennie And The Jets” for the concert’s most surprisingly fun moment. (Track 9) “Abracadabra,” is a good interlude. (Track 10) “To The Moon (Plan C)” features Steve Lacy, who brings his sound to Badu’s record with the same grace she visits his newest release Oh Yeah? The three-way fusion between the sounds of The Alchemist, Badu, and Lacy, all of which are unique and individually decipherable, ought to be an intriguing listen for any music fan. Well-grouped features, Thundercat is next. (Track 11) “They Ain’t You” isn’t the album’s most exhilarating track, but the transition between Lacy’s sound and Thundercat’s bass is clever, but it drags on as TC tracks tend to do. (Track 12) “What The People Say (Apostle 1)” picks up the pace and Badu shakes off the mumbles, ramping up into the fastest-paced rap performance (Track 13) “Hot BiBi (Apostle 2).” Another well-intentioned pairing, but the best bars had yet to come. (Track 14) “No I.D.” captures a true freestyle feel as Badu names legendary DJs over the most quintessential Alchemist beat of the record. It was fitting then, to feature Westside Gunn for the second time, laying viscous flexes over the creepy-crawly instrumental and Erykah Badu’s sweet hook “Ain't nobody fuckin' with the K-I-D (No) / Big ball bangin', need no ID (Doot-doot-doot-doot-doot, ah) / I'ma get a beat from No I.D. (Mm, woo) / Ain't nobody fuckin' with the K-I-D (Yeah) / If Alchemist don't come through for me / I'ma get a beat from No I.D. (Woo).” That’s taste folks. (Track 15) “I Know That Man” mutters Earl Sweatshirt, before stating blankly atop the beatdrop “Everything is not a joke,” at the beginning of the album’s best verse over The Alchemist’s most emotionally charged beat only to give way to this chorus on gospel-style-repeat: “I, wanna be seen / as good / in the eyes of that which made us.” It brings tears to my eyes, even in listening to write this article. Now for the final time, check this shit out: “Too much dopamine can make a man mean / Dimethyltryptamine make a man dream / Ozempic and promethazine make a man lean / Mars' daddy Jay Elec', make a bitch real mean / Turn into a meme, make a big scene / Broadcast it on the whole block, live from the black box / Phone call, liberation or entrapment? / Mercury in retrograde, at midnight all was well / But suddenly the box became engulfed with a beam of light / Somebody gettin' some pussy, tonight.” Is your jaw on the floor? Mine was the first time I heard Ms. Badu rattle this off for a teaser at last year’s show, and so were the jaws of any fan who hadn’t heard (Track 16) “Black Box” before last Friday’s concert. Oh, and the second verse is just as good, so give it a listen and yours may be too. My name is Ian Thomas Sherry, but I’m Mr. Badu if she’ll have me. Before The World Blows is an 8.9.

Pink Tape BY: Ian Sherry 7/16/23 On June 30, 2023, Lil Uzi Vert released Pink Tape. For those who don’t know, Lil Uzi Vert (they/them) is a rapper from Philadelphia. They also share a birthday with me! One of the champions of Soundcloud-Era hip-hop, which birthed numerous stylistic trends (namely widespread autotune usage), Uzi has carved a niche for themselves and their sound within the mainstream of rap music. This niche includes some of the most diehard fans in music today. Perhaps to a fault, Uzi’s fans will back them, and to their credit, they keep the masses on their toes. From getting a gem attached to their forehead, to their increasingly diverse musical endeavors, they know how to play the game. With their 2023 release, they’re doing exactly that: playing games. Lil Uzi Vert has had different variations of success throughout their career. They’ve proven, at times, to be a prolific hit-maker. Their 2023 single “I Just Wanna Rock” is a shining example of this. Uzi also has the ability to make a musically strong and conceptually cohesive album. Their 2017 Luv Is Rage 2 is fantastic. Uzi has it in them. Unfortunately, Pink Tape is a flaming heap of garbage. Uzi feels distracted. They feel lazy, but most of all, they don’t properly represent the talent that they possess. Nothing is more frustrating, especially as a fan of albums, than listening to one that could have been good. Uzi’s 2023 record displays nearly none of the finer points of album construction, but as a brief palate cleanser, here are some positives I dug out of the 26 song monstrosity that is Pink Tape. I have to acknowledge (and hold on for dear life to) the fact that Pink Tape is an aesthetic success. Uzi, who seems to try operating from a holistically creative space, often has an intriguing and carefully constructed public persona; a persona that I wish was more musically present. Uzi themselves are rarely present on their album covers, often opting for a cartoon version or something on the abstract side. In fact, the only album they’re physically present on prior to Pink Tape is Luv Is Rage 2. Unfortunately, the slight visual similarities do not mark a return to 2017 form for Uzi. To me, Luv Is Rage 2 thrives in consistency, they locked in on a style and beat it to death in the best way. Meanwhile, Pink Tape’s extremely limited strength is found in diversity. You may be saying ‘well of course there’s diversity, it's 26 songs long’. Don’t assume, Uzi will prove you wrong. In 26 songs Uzi managed to put together one truly compelling stretch of songs, and they did everyone a favor by grouping them together so we can conveniently skip the rest. Although Nicki Minaj and Don Toliver donated songs to the cause at tracks 11 and 20, Uzi’s solo success is limited to tracks 14-17. Out of 26. I’ll save you the finger math, it’s not a good ratio, but since I’m supposed to be covering the good I’ll start at “Nakamura”. Named for WWE star Shinsuke Nakamura, Uzi samples the wrestler’s entrance song. It provides the high-energy arena vibe they were aiming for, accomplishing something that Uzi chased unsuccessfully throughout the first 9 songs of the album. It’s nothing complicated, but combined with a solid vocal performance from Uzi, the result is a fun song. “Nakamura” had to be good because it's immediately followed by one of the most intoxicating songs of the year. “I Just Wanna Rock” is Lil Uzi Vert’s club masterpiece. It’s pure energy, it’s overly simple, it’s overplayed, it’s New Jersey club, it's what music has come to, but at the same time, it’s perfect. Uzi sticks with the club trap for “Fire Alarm” featuring Snow Strippers. The bass presence is essential on this track as is the feature. It brings more chaotic energy to Pink Tape, but this time, it's listenable. There is a way to execute organized chaos, and Snow Strippers may be better suited for that direction. Speaking of direction, as soon as Uzi starts to head in an interestingly cohesive one, they decide to drop in a little metal. “CS” marks a new direction for Uzi yet again. While it isn’t by any means polished, it's exciting to see Uzi explore a direction of interest to them when so much of the album is the same old sound with a different ‘attitude’ or a severe lack of bass. They switch up tempo and intensity frequently on “CS,” and while it doesn’t always flow particularly well, the autotuned vocals float nicely atop stripped down instrumental and contrast nicely with the heavy metal hook. Uzi goes for a metal sound twice more on this record. Both songs do a great job of making “CS” look masterful in comparison. The intentional unpredictability of Uzi is on full display from tracks 14-17, and while that doesn’t by any means redeem Pink Tape, it gives the audience something to take away. Unfortunately, my birthday buddy has given me a plethora of reasons to be disappointed this year. Much like Lil Yachty, who actually branched out this year, Uzi has a tendency to make some of the most repetitive music known to man. This can last a verse, a song, or an entire album. It’s certainly an issue on Pink Tape, and although it’s a stylistic choice, it still upsets me. The first nine songs of the album have lots of issues beyond repetition though, from borderline incoherent verses to low quality instrumental samples. What bothers me the most is the blatant lack of low-end to the mixes. There’s not enough bass, pure and simple. Bass is essential in Hip-Hop. It can hold together a beat, guide the rhythm, or even become the centerpiece in place of a traditional rhythm section, like contemporary Michigan rap production often does. Uzi and his football roster of producers seem to have forgotten that until track ten. Nine consecutive bad songs to start a 26 song album! I can’t speak to whether or not this is a stylistic choice, but I don’t care. I can’t look past this level of questionable output from supposedly professional studios, much less listen to it. Uzi littered bones for me to pick throughout the entirety of this album, but the worst of all is the overarching issue of album construction. There are endless factors that go into the proper construction of an album; it’s an artform in itself. Uzi checks one single box with Pink Tape: a good cover. There’s different approaches to making an album. I split them into two categories. An album can be a simple collection of musically cohesive songs. Whether it transverses genres as it progresses or sticks in the same vein, the key to this kind of album is a balance of quality and stylistic flow. The second type is a little bit harder to execute: an album as an idea. It requires taking a concept, whether it's a feeling, experience, statement, all of those things, or none of those things, and creating a set of songs that flow into one another as one continuous story, which upon zooming out paints a complete picture for the audience. So, once again, there are two different types of albums. I don’t necessarily have a preference, but I believe there are two distinctly different directions, so attempting to go somewhere in the middle is dangerous and failing to hit either results in a conceptual failure regardless of the musical merit. Pink Tape is a conceptual failure. There is no definitive theme. The closest they get to a theme is the repeated declaration that Lil Uzi Vert is not in fact gay (something I wasn’t even aware was a topic of discussion). I have nothing to say on the matter other than that is not a theme, especially not in the way Uzi executes it. As far as albums go, because it lacks any sort of theme or intentional direction, as well as a cohesive grouping of music, Pink Tape is nothing. There is no redeemable factor to this record’s existence, and on top of that, there’s an hour and a half of it. I don’t know why Uzi made Pink Tape and it doesn’t feel like they do either. As a fan (who they profit off), an album is a semi-sacred occasion, and as an artist, disregarding the importance of that does everyone involved (minus those who profit) a disservice. Despite the bright spots, I won’t lie, Uzi has done themselves and their fans a disservice this year. Pink Tape is a 3.5/10

WALK WITH ME IV 11/14/2023 BY: IAN SHERRY Wow, this must be important for me to bypass the Gretel Hanlyn concert review, Rolling Stones review, and Grammy-talk. Correct. Well, we’ve been wishing for new music, and our wishes appear to be coming true.. André 3000 is releasing his first album in 17 years this Friday, November 17. After all this time, naturally, there’s a twist. It’s all flute. The third greatest rapper of all time, by my most current assessment, was ½ of the greatest hip-hop duo of all time. As Outkast, he and his partner Big Boi put out some of the most influential music in Southern Rap, hip-hop, and countless other lanes of contemporary music. From their Southern slice of life Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, to their critically acclaimed Aquemini, or their prototypical smash-hit Stankonia to their ultimate two-part masterpiece Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, Outkast amassed one of the greatest discographies of all time. That, however, is where we run into our first and only problem with André 3000: as a solo artist, he doesn’t have a single album. Following the breakup of Outkast in 2007, André retreated from the spotlight. He seems to have enjoyed it so much that he has effectively stayed out of the recording business ever since. His low-profile trajectory reminds me of another talented artist whose time spent off the grid created high levels of anticipation around his return: Frank Ocean. He also released several fantastic albums, captivated a musically and culturally inclined audience, and then disappeared - only to give occasional features. The biggest difference between the two however, is we’ve gotten glimpses into André’s mind. His featured verses, although infrequent, are very insightful, and when coupled with his rare interviews, we can begin to create a picture of where he stands. André 3000 stepped away 17 years ago, trapped in a state of creative block. He tried to work through it by exploring other mediums, and has continued to do so while struggling with family deaths and mounting public pressure to do something, anything. In recent years especially, the dialogue surrounding his musical inactivity has shifted to retrospective. Less ‘I wish he would’ and more ‘I wish he would have’. Yet he summarized his position best when he explained that hip-hop is a young medium that relies on new swagger and fresh ideas. The point of emphasis there? New and fresh. André 3000 is aesthetically one of the coolest people alive. In his prime he rocked a dumb wig and now he wears strange hats, but in the eyes of his fans it all works perfectly. But gazing back into that emerging picture of his mind’s eye, I find it plausible that he truly believes he isn’t hip. And to be hip, after all, is engrained in the very name of his chosen genre. If he lacks that, he can’t function within it. It’s a reasonable stance that he’s taken, and although his fans' frustrations with him often leak through their caring attitudes, he’s stood on it. André 3000 left the scene while grappling with creative difficulties and the inability to produce,, and while he’s taken time to work through his challenges in different ways, including taking better care of himself, he hasn’t been able to get back to his lofty stature as an actively elite figure in hip hop. That’s fine, especially given our experience with talented, tenured artists forcing creativity with horrible results: Eminem’s Music To Be Murdered By, The Game’s DRILLMATIC Heart vs. Mind, Kanye West’s Donda 2, all of Kid Cudi’s 2023 singles, and I could go on. As I briefly mentioned, André 3000’s features still roll out occasionally, and they’re always top tier. This standard keeps continued pressure on him to produce new music. He has proven time and time again that he’s still capable, thrusting him into a greater state of current relevancy than he seems to realize.. While he may view himself more like a Lauryn Hill, his fans see him as closer to a Nicki Minaj. Lauryn Hill fans respect and support her decision to focus on her personal life, while Nicki Minaj fans have been waiting semi-patiently for the return of their messiah from motherhood since her last album in 2018, pouncing on every single and driving it to the top of the charts to lure her back out. With respect to the latter, you don’t see André 3000’s name on a tracklist without major conversation and praise to follow. Case in point: Killer Mike’s “SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS” is Grammy-nominated this year, and guess who it features? So please allow me to summarize my stance. I whole-heartedly believe that André 3000 is a capable rapper, but what about his true ability to make music? The reason I’m unsure? Because he’s not sure either. And until he’s sure, I wouldn’t want him to force anything unnatural. So when I woke up this morning and saw he had an album coming out, I was a bit concerned. Then I found out it was a flute album, and I wasn’t surprised - in fact I was a bit relieved. I’m hoping this will give us a view into the creative space he’s embodying. If he seems to be thriving creatively in a musical space, of course I’ll want more. And I’ll continue to want to hear him on the mic. But, for now, this is perfect. I’ll listen, and I’ll read reviews. Some will rave about it, saying it’s the best (probably only) flute they’ve ever heard. Others will rip it to shreds saying he has no business experimenting with it, like they did his occasional guitar performances As a person with zero experience listening to or interest in the flute, I don’t plan to review it. I wouldn’t be qualified. Despite, or maybe in light of this being my all-time favorite rapper’s solo debut, I can’t bring myself to opine on something I’m not capable of properly critiquing. I’ll listen to it, form an opinion, and move forward. And I hope André continues to move forward as well.

Did you know that Lana Del Rey likes exceptionally long titles BY: Ian Sherry 4/23/23 On March 24, Lana Del Rey released Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard. Lana is one of the strangest figures in music today. She made waves upon entry into the market and sparked backlash over her apparent status as an industry plant. While this rubs some people the wrong way, her fans are some of the most dedicated in all of music. They feed into her ever-changing and intentionally unique persona - and vice versa. The result is a catalog mix of inconsistencies, originality and creativity. For me, this is an overall positive characteristic, but it does complicate any quality-based judgments of her work. I generally believe that in cases like this (where the artist is weird outside the music, but not necessarily in it), it’s best to separate their public personas from the music to avoid over or under-crediting them based on personal bias. To be clear, her personality enhances the tone of the album, something that many artists struggle with. However, I don’t often find a significant alteration to the music itself. Yes, she has evolved as an artist, but the stylistic shifts from album to album have never been groundbreaking to me. Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard is easily better than her previous two releases, and while it isn’t a huge creative step forward, it innovates enough to please her hungry audience, and it includes some of her cleanest, well-rounded tracks to date. Lana’s atmosphere of choice on Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard is one of melancholy and nostalgia from the perspective of a woman intent on letting her emotional trauma fester through 77 minutes of painful memories. Her storytelling is, in short, unique. She carefully constructs emotionally raw narratives that the listener can feel. They’re often conversational, a dialogue between her and another person, sometimes an old friend, family member, or romantic partner, sometimes herself, and sometimes nobody at all. Lana’s storytelling, combined with her polished voice and attitude of comfortable familiarity, paints blurry images that must be clear to somebody - but we are not somebody. This atmosphere Lana constructed is present on all of her best songs on the record. I believe “Sweet”, “Kintsugi”, and “Fingertips” are some of the best examples, but excluding a select few, you can feel it in every song. In the past, Lana has struggled to lock into one really strong sound. On Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard , she does. However, her ability to mix things up without departing from her theme or comfort zone is what elevates this album. On “A&W”, the lengthiest song of the album at 7:13, Lana recounts short memories of past experiences, how they’ve soured her outlook on love and herself, and how she’s now a less worthy romantic acquisition. It’s a dark look into the troubled mind of someone lacking self-esteem and their subsequent inability to deal with emotions or even basic facts in a positive way. However, this outstanding narrative aside, what stands out the most to me is Lana sounding like Lorde. The first 4 minutes are a steady instrumental performance from a piano and acoustic guitar fronted by Lana’s meandering vocals, but the last three minutes break into something entirely different: the production suddenly switches to electronic, with base hits and a drum machine coming into play along with a buzzy finish on Lana’s up-pace vocals. It is very reminiscent of Lorde’s 2013 hit album Pure Heroine . From the building up and stripping down of the production to Lana’s repetitive lyrics and layered vocals, the finish to “A&W” is a shocking and well-executed finish to an emotionally raw song. This isn’t the only instance of Lana dipping into outside influences on her 2023 project. For instance, “Grandfather please stand on the shoulders of my father while he’s deep-sea fishing”, yes that’s the title, reminds me of Kate Bush in a way. But what impressed me, even more than her incorporation of different sounds, was her use of features. Jon Batiste’s feature on “Candy Necklace” is the album’s first. I love Batiste, so I was excited to see how they would come together on this song. At first I was disappointed, as he only plays piano behind her fairly repetitive vocals. But by my third listen I changed my mind. Batiste is a genius with his hands on a piano, and his performance provides a unique backing to a straightforward, but enjoyable performance. They don’t always blend seamlessly, but there are successful moments when Lana changes pace or volume in unison with Batiste’s piano runs, which adds a very unique quality to the song. “Paris, Texas” feat. SYML, “Let The Light In” feat. Father John Misty, and “Margaret” feat. Bleachers are three of the strongest songs on the album. “Paris, Texas” features a simple instrumental accompaniment from SYML. His feature doesn’t add to the song as noticeably as the Batiste feature does, but it is one of the most well-done songs in Lana’s discography and might be my favorite on the album. “Let The Light In” is the most traditional feature on the album. Lana and Father John Misty duet on the chorus, adding to the fullness of a touching song while still allowing Lana to carry the personal and nostalgic narrative on her own. “Margaret” is similar to “Let The Light In”, but with a more dynamic performance from Lana. Bleachers plays a very similar role to Father John Misty, helping on the chorus and providing a point of return in the chorus for Lana to take the verses to different places. She shows more range on this one song than the rest of the entire album, and the instrumental is much more upfront in certain parts of the mix, elevating the song above the surrounding tracks. Without Bleachers holding down the chorus and providing a more mellow vibe, the exceptional contrast of “Margaret” wouldn’t have been possible. Lana Del Rey was clearly in a creative place for this album. While her creativity manifests itself in the album's best moments, it’s also evident in what I consider to be her biggest mistakes. The first shortcoming, “Judah Smith Interlude”, is an instrumentally backed rant that forces the listener to analyze it for any possible meaning before inevitably giving up before the 4:37 is up. I don’t know what she was getting at here, but I do know it doesn’t fit. Just two tracks later the “Jon Batiste Interlude” is a much better version. His piano backs up a distorted recording of his voice with some Lana vocals in the background. It feels like much more of an instrumental interlude than “Judah Smith Interlude”, and it’s a welcome addition to the flow of the album, unlike its predecessor. The second shortcoming comes in the last three songs. To be fair, I like Lana’s decision to shift from a mostly live recorded instrumental album to a more electronically produced finish starting on “Fishtail”. There are great moments of vocal distortion and sonic layering, but “Peppers” is simply out of place. As the second-to-last track on the album, it has a completely different vibe in the wrong way. In a different context it is a good song, which is why I wish she had released it as a sort of red herring single. It has a catchy chorus and some classic late 2000s vocals, which is exactly why it makes no sense here. Although I like “Peppers” on its own, I am baffled by its inclusion on Lana’s otherwise cohesive and focused 2023 project. A final minor critique: Lana’s verses don’t alway distinguish themselves from one another or the chorus because of the understated delivery. But, this is more of a preference issue on my part and a stylistic choice on hers. This album, in my mind, is an anomaly. Lana is overly-focused on a singular theme, something that has hurt, even delegitimized, some of her previous work. But, this time it is done perfectly. Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard combines some of Lana’s best songs with her most beautiful moments ever. Without “Judah Smith Interlude '' and “Peppers”, this album really flirts with perfection. Ironically, Lana Del Rey, who is often considered a semi-niche artist, has delivered an album I would genuinely recommend to nearly any audience. A simple rating can’t encapsulate how much I like this album. Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard is an 8.75/10.

11/3/2023 BY IAN SHERRY THREE PIECE VOL. II On October 13: Westside Gunn released And Then You Pray For Me . MIKE released Burning Desire . Troye Sivan released Something To Give Each Other . Westside Gunn embodies a very special lane in contemporary hip-hop. His unique, adlib-heavy committee rap combines with semi-organic instrumentals for a truly recognizable sound. He combines Buffalo NY pride with themes of grandeur like high-society fashion, which thrusts him further into his niche. He is the one of the key faces of an off-center breed of hip-hop artists that includes Action Bronson , Freddie Gibbs , or Gunn’s longtime collaborators Benny The Butcher and Conway The Machine . It’s hard to understand Westside Gunn’s world from the outside. Luckily, he invests his time and talent time fleshing it out for the benefit of his audience. One listen through Pray For Paris or Hitler Wears Hermes 7 should do the trick, as will a listen through And Then You Pray For Me . Because Gunn has settled so specifically on a sound, it’s reasonable to assume you know what’s coming stylistically. He’s consistent, and if you enjoy his style, chances are you’ll come away with at least a few favorite tracks from every album. What really makes a Westside Gunn album at this stage in his career is the thematic exploits and the collaborations. He delivered in both categories in 2023. Artists flaunting their lifestyle is absolutely nothing new, however, it’s cool when he does it. With consistent references to Paris Fashion Week and a variety of globetrotting ventures, Gunn displays himself as a man of international intrigue and his world as something straight out of the movies. The addition of DJ Drama , who recently brought Tyler The Creator into a similar realm, sets that tone early on, reenforcing Gunn's ability to construct an album. Composing cohesive albums and replicating his creative, yet formulaic sound are certainly accomplishments, however, the strongest moments of this new release involve new faces. Aside from the usual suspects, several artists supplied great features: JID , Rick Ross , and Denzel Curry to name a few. All three of them excel in featured verses, and Westside Gunn excels at accommodating them, especially Curry. The best, most unexpected success is “Chloe” featuring Ty Dolla $ign . To be clear, Ty is quite possibly my favorite feature artist, but I didn’t envision him here. His mark on track 12 is immediately clear. He harmonizes with Gunn throughout his verse, then gives his own bars. The atmosphere of the song is different than anything else on this record, and the sonic smoothness, which Ty Dolla $ign always brings, takes it to another level. That’s just one song though. The biggest contributor on this album deserves his own review: Stove God Cooks . I’ve seldom seen someone so underground make such a big impact on a big name record, a la Mr. Fantastik . He raps like an expert in different styles and cadences, doing whatever the song needs on all five of his features. “KITCHEN LIGHT” and “1989” are my favorite, but if you listen to this album and see Stove God Cooks’ name under the next song, just know it'll be good. On Then You Pray For Me, Westside Gunn put emphasis on his belief that music is more than its face value, it's art. He backs that up. Granted, it’s not a perfect album, there are misses. But, this is how you construct a 21 song album. It moves along nicely with both diversity and consistency, while delivering surprising successes. I’m very pleased, and while there’s nothing too innovative to boost its score, it’s my favorite rap record of the year thus far. Am I biased? Yes, but consumption without preference is impossible. Westside Gunn makes music to please his audience, and as a member of that audience, I’m more than satisfied. That makes this a success for me. I’ll leave you with a Stove God Cooks lyric, “Then West turned me from a rapper to an artpiece” (“Babylon Bis”). Then You Pray For Me is a 8/10. MIKE is making a push to join the next generation of influential rappers from New York. Much like the other Bandcamp success stories, his influences are rangy. Bandcamp is a music listening alternative to the typical streaming model, meant to more directly support the artists. Artists like Bjork and Radiohead re-released their music there, industry legends like Waajeed reside there, and other musical acts like Car Seat Headrest , Quadeca , and now MIKE have seen growth through the platform. It is a pro-artist attitude that draws musicians to the site. That attitude is responsible for a wide variety of creative results, levels of success, and quality. Variety can certainly be found on Burning Desire , and the record’s high points should secure MIKE the respect and standing within hip-hop he’s pursuing. MIKE is a sort of studio do-it-all, but he has one area that needs improvement. He can rap, but the best performances don’t take place until the end of the record. I recommend “Golden Hour” and “Let’s Have a Ball” , and I’d like to highlight the latter. The last song on the album, track 24 is built on a spacy instrumental that places MIKE’s rapping in center focus. He lays down a clear and patient verse, feeling more comfortable on the mic here than anywhere previously on the album, and sticking to the same cadence but allowing himself subtle pauses. He raps with a laid-back swagger that gives the audience the choice of where to focus their attention, without fading into obscurity behind the instrumental. Unfortunately, and this is my biggest issue with MIKE: his vocals often disappear on this record. MIKE is a production machine, using heavy samplework and audio filters to create impressive soundscapes, but his rapping can’t always keep up. He feels like he’s just trying to hold pace, other times his energy doesn’t match the beat. On top of that, his flows often are unchanged for the length of songs. With production as creative as his, there’s pressure on the performance to be equally entertaining. That’s where JPEGMAFIA or Danny Brown excels; I eat up their verses. While he isn’t a bad lyricist, I can’t digest MIKE’s lyrical content on an empty stomach. To be fair, the majority of his rapping isn’t horrible, but the discrepancy between production and vocal performative ability stands out. This doesn’t kill the album by any means, but it puts a ceiling on an artist that feels like he shouldn’t have one. I’m confident he’ll improve, the flashes are potent. Album construction is very important to me. I review albums subjectively and score albums holistically, and MIKE has given me a lot to work with. This album, despite its flaws, has such highs that it could’ve been an album of the year candidate. Unfortunately, it’s 24 songs long. If it was 35 minutes instead of 50 this is a different conversation. He does a good job of keeping songs at reasonable lengths, but it is still a dense listen. Density, in this context, means there’s no time to come up for air. The audience is forced to take in every second of every song for the entire 24. Density in itself isn’t bad, in fact, Marvin Gaye ’s What’s Going On (the greatest album of all time), is extremely dense. However, Marvin’s masterpiece is 9 songs over 35 minutes with zero wasted space, zero misses. This ain’t that. Aside from the length though, MIKE seems to know what he’s doing. The introductory and final tracks masterfully guide the audience in and out of the album, the sole interlude is on point, the majority of the features are fantastic, and the song placement and transitions are well-executed. This is the work of a veteran, but after a quick google search you’d see, like I did, that MIKE is 25 years young. I was very critical in reviewing this album. That’s because it deserved it. Burning Desire is the best produced album of the year, bar none. It’s so good that I couldn’t do it justice through description; you need to hear it for yourself. Music I can’t pretend to properly describe is rare, and for that alone it deserves mentions in the end-of-year conversation. It has its weaknesses that limit it in ways comparably successful albums aren’t limited, but, its high points are undeniable. Burning Desire is a 8.5/10. Prior to this Troye Sivan album, I only knew one of his songs, and I don’t like it. The judgment I passed following my brief introduction to Sivan was that of another perpetuator of the dying pop standard. The critical success of the whiny male vocalists, simple instrumentals, repetitive choruses, and predictable builds, that defined a generation of pop music, is coming to an end. The monetary success will be more stubborn, but that too will fade without the support of critical voices. It is the nature of cultural cycles; they turn over and new eras defined by new artists roll in. It seemed to me that Troye Sivan would be one of many swept out with the tide. While I can’t rule that out, his 2023 album Something To Give Each Other makes me think twice. Many artists lose sight of their vision when they overcomplicate things. Troye Sivan, on the other hand, must have complexity. Without it, he is like any other artist. Luckily, I learned he has the ability to set himself apart when he chooses. Vocally and lyrically, he is nothing unique, but when he alters his delivery he can set himself apart. “Rush” is the first example. The upbeat dance track thrives on simple and clear verses, however, what makes the song for me is the chorus. The washy group vocal creates an atmosphere and his solo refrain audibly pulsates, creating a sonically mesmerizing effect. It elevates an already catchy track, and that’s what pop music needs. Vocal effects can also save an otherwise nondescript song like “Silly” . There are various species of vocal tampering across the album. I’m no production expert, but pitch and volume changes, audio filters, and classic autotune are all noticeable additions. Autotune in particular is very polarizing. Many mainstream pop acts avoid it, especially if they fancy themselves pure singers. That’s why someone like Post Malone exists: he chose to embrace autotune and cultivated an audience who ‘doesn’t normally like rap’. The truth is Malone is nowhere near rap, but the association is there. Troye Sivan doesn’t shy away from an unconscious affiliation with hip-hop and I appreciate that, however, I need more. For every positive experiment on this record, Sivan has an equally negative failure to branch out. For example, he dips into EDM at times. That’s a genre that suffers from simplicity and repetition, but he is able to take it further on “Got Me Started” . By beginning with the Bag Raiders ’ “Shooting Stars” sample, he hooks the audience before laying down the classic EDM drum beat. From that point he keeps layering the instrumental and showing different looks vocally to keep it fresh. It’s a well executed song. But, he also visits the opposite end of that spectrum with a song like “Honey” . Aside from a very basic and lonely EDM beat, his vocals feel uninspired. He relies on the energy build, and while that aspect is executed to an extent, it falls flat if the audience isn’t hooked in the first place. Everyone is allowed a miss or two, but in Troye Sivan’s position it’s crucial that those misses don’t come at the hands of creative shortcomings. Something To Give Each Other has been very well received. I understand why. It is one of the cleaner records all year, and it still ventures into somewhat unexplored territory. However, in comparison to the album I reviewed just above, it’s beyond safe, more like secret service protected. I just cannot get on board with that. I’m not asking for the next musical renaissance, I’m asking for something I might not hear in the sock aisle at Target or the Starbucks bathroom. Sivan delivers at time, making it more perplexing and frustrating when he doesn’t. That said, even with the flat verses, uninspired production, and choruses I can sing before I hear them, there are strong moments on this record. I hope he keeps heading in the direction of tracks 1, 3, and 7. Those aren’t the only successes out of the ten, but those songs will set Troye Sivan apart and could earn him a spot in the new era I believe is approaching. I’d be happy to have him. Something To Give Each Other is a 5.5/10.