Nicki Minaj, Again 12/22/23 BY: IAN SHERRY On December 8, 2023, Nicki Minaj released her first album in 5 years: Pi nk Friday 2 . Nicki Minaj embodies a unique position in today’s music landscape as one of the most simultaneously overplayed and underrated artists of all time. Like her pal Drake, her popularity often overshadows her technical ability, and her sound. Both artists are dismissed as one-dimensional based on the portion of their work that hits the charts. This is understandable, considering both artists produce stylistically unattractive moments on almost every album. However, if you really dig into Drake, you’d hear a decent rapper. Not my favorite by any means, but decent. Similarly, but to the extreme, if you really dig into Nicki Minaj, you’d hear one of the most skilled rappers of all time. Her influence on rap as an industry is immeasurable. From her mainstream sexual branding to her marketing and release strategies, to her pure skill and style on the microphone, she sets the standard for any rapper wishing to straddle the lines of hip-hop and pop. Minaj, in my book, is the undisputed queen of rap. This year, she was tasked with expanding her legacy after years away. Nicki Minaj, as good as she is, has never been the strongest at crafting a well-executed, complete album. This holds her back from certain elite conversations. Her flows and bars are consistently elite, but her thematic focus and song curation occasionally fall short. This isn’t to say she hasn’t made good albums, in fact she has some classics. But their status benefits greatly from their chart-topping hits and far-reaching influence. Even if they weren’t perfectly crafted masterpieces, Pink Friday , The Pinkprint , and Queen defined their respective eras of mainstream rap and have aged gracefully due to Minaj’s looming presence and unshakeable relevance. However, until the recent release of Pink Friday 2 , Nicki Minaj hadn’t made an album since 2018, raising the question: can she deliver in a culturally significant way? Although Minaj is still relevant, five years removed, she’s a clear notch below her prime popularity. Mainstream rap is heavily reliant on being in style, and she hasn’t been this far on the outside since she secured a feature on Kanye West’s “Monster”. That was in 2010, this is 2023. The Samples Danny Brown revealed sometime in the last 10 years (time flies when you can’t find the date of the video) that when constructing his critically acclaimed album Atrocity Exhibition , he expended so much of his production budget on securing the rights to samples, prior to rollout and other post-production expenses, that he initially lost money on the album. An up-and-comer at the time, Brown’s inexperience with fiscal management and industry norms, coupled with his enthusiasm for the music, led to him being broke when his 2016 record was released, and consequently, he stayed in the red for the years that followed. While I’m certain Nicki Minaj wasn’t scrolling through Danny Brown content on Instagram, she seems to be very aware of her capacity for luxurious samples. She lets you know immediately with “Are You Gone Already” , which samples Billie Eilish’s “when the party's over” . Off the top of my partially focused head, I can’t think of any other song that samples a song that charted so recently. If you read the Genius annotation, this is pitched as a collaboration between Eilish, Minaj, and FINNEAS, but in reality it’s a remix of the pop hit with a partial lyrical alignment between the rap verses and sampled refrain that sets the tone. Meanwhile on “Pin k Friday Girls” and “Super Freaky Girl,” Minaj attempts to assemble poppy anthems around “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” and “Super Freak,” respectively. A common criticism of rap, uttered by many including Prince, is that sampling is a way to construct your ‘music’ entirely around someone else’s work. This implies that a rapper jumps in the studio and begins vocalizing over a slightly restructured version of someone else’s original. Anyone who’s listened to intricate sample-work, (check out The Alchemist), would understand this is an inaccurate, outmoded take. And now you’ll have to brace yourself for an immediate contradiction. On all three of the aforementioned songs, Minaj only makes slight alterations to the original song, cutting verses and adding drums and bass. She even lazily chipmunks Blondie’s “Heart of G lass” f or the chorus of “My Life” . The basic repackaging of all these former hits allows Nicki Minaj to lay down different personas over a canvas that was painted for her. This is a fine strategy on paper, but so is fouling Shaquille O’Neil every time he touches the ball. It’s just not what we’re here for. Danny Brown didn’t have the money to spend, but he spent it anyway on creative sample selection, which he wove into one of the most unique individual album soundscapes in hip-hop history. So after five years away, Nicki Minaj had plenty of money to spend, and she chose to spend it on a random shuffle of chart-topping hits. The Flows Switching to the positive, Nicki Minaj has one of the most multifaceted vocal delivery skillsets of all time. She can rap in a variety of speeds, moods, even accents. At this stage in her career, sustaining an elite level of vocal expertise is easier said than done. Legendary rappers like Eminem or Q Tip, for example, have been rendered vocally unimpressive in recent years. In other words, it’s possible to age out of your flows. Minaj hasn’t. Pink Friday 2 ’s second track, “ Barbie Dangerous,” comes out firing as the jumping-off point of the album. She works with pace and precision, setting a high standard that she maintains for the majority of the album. Whether it’s going bar-for-bar with J Cole (he’s on a tear) on “Let Me Calm Down,” embracing Lil Uzi Vert’s 2023 sound on “Everybody,” bringing in the island sound on “Forward From Trini,” or parading her early-career princess persona on “Pink Friday Girls,” Minaj delivers on expert rap performance after another. That kind of versatility is invaluable. It often allows Minaj to act as her own feature, considering her seamless shapeshifting from verse to verse. Frankly, that’s what holds this album together. The Givens If you listen to Nicki Minaj, this album is nothing new. We know she can rap, and if we’re honest with ourselves, we know she can’t sing. She does it anyway, often singing on her own choruses and refrains despite her access to a plethora of alternative options. This is a stylistically misguided choice that rappers like J Cole also fall victim to. However, unlike Cole, she often compiles mistakes by failing to supply sufficient instrumental backing on songs that emphasize her singing. But, like I said, I knew it was coming. I also knew this album would bring a mixed bag of features. J Cole and Lil Wayne deliver on tracks 6 and 7, while Drake and Future flop on tracks 9 and 19. I also knew there would be a mix of moods, which could be interpreted as aimless or diverse. “Fallin 4 You” is one of the best executed, vulnerable songs of Minaj’s career, while “Bahm Bahm” mirrors Minaj’s classic energy-infused club-radio formula. I knew the album would be defined more by its hits than skips. I knew the Barbs would make sure the album charted regardless of merit. I knew what to expect, and although I hoped for something else, (more out of desperation for the unpredictable than dislike for the usual), I was right. Nicki Minaj made another album, and it’s much like her others. Its mainstream relevance is measured in comparison to her past releases, but in proportion to her current cultural standing. The album scores points for it’s highlights, “Red Ruby Da Sleeze” and “Super Freaky Girl,” to name a few, but loses points since those singles were released 9 and 16 months ago respectively. Pink Friday 2 gave me so little to expand upon that I spent most of my energy analyzing Nicki Minaj’s mindset around sampling. So, to bring this review to a conclusion in a fittingly generic fashion, here’s a cliche to summarize the experience of Pink Friday 2 : For every push in one direction, there’s a pull in another. My disappointment stems from predictability, yet the inalienable positives of the Nicki Minaj sound push this album slightly into positive territory. I think the blank stare with which I’m listening to and writing about this album is the best summation of its quality, but I’ll give it a score nonetheless. Pink Friday 2 is a 5.3/10.

The Hunting Party 2/10/2025 BY: IAN SHERRY The Hunting Party premiered February 4, 2024, on NBC. The sole focus of network television, perhaps more than any other form of media, is to secure viewership. Each and every episode must supply something that brings the audience back the next week, which places a unique and permanently immediate sense of pressure on everyone involved. That pressure begins the moment the creators cross the threshold from idea to product and doesn’t cease until the show itself does. Network television’s latest million-dollar idea sprung from the mind of JJ Bailey. Bailey has experience with the pressures of Network show-biz, having had Echo, his only prior show, canceled after the pilot. The Hunting Party, in many ways, is a reflection of his learned approach to the genre. We can start with the premise. An unknown number of assumed-dead serial killers escape from a massive CIA-run subterranean prison via explosion. Now that’s a headline, albeit one that’s kept from the fictional public. The result of that jailbreak, therefore, is a technically unlimited (but more like unspecified) number of future episode plots. In that sense, The Hunting Party is pure genius. That, however, is not the only sense I care about. One of the givens of network television, in my eyes, has always been the limited quality of the art itself. There is a definite standard that this meticulously analyzed audience is known to expect. Falling short of that standard in any way, whether it be writing, acting, set design, or one of the many other requirements of TV production, would likely be received as a critical error. However, that standard is so demanding, there are so many boxes to check, that it encourages a sort of ‘good enough’ attitude, rather than the perfection in a vacuum that an alternatively produced show might aim for. The Hunting Party, for all its broad-stroke-strengths, is no exception to the phenomenon above. If you watched the promos, you’d be fooled into thinking Bex, played by Melissa Roxburgh, is the star of the show. In reality, the star is the plot. For instance, Bex goes from an FBI profiler posted in a casino (the FBI’s doghouse) to lead profiler in the most crucial multi-manhunt in the country’s history before the first commercial break. If that seems sudden, overly convenient, or even unrealistic to you, you’re not alone. But, that fast, loose, fairytale style was a conscious choice - one that, while limiting to the actors as they come across stiff and defined by their function, allowed for the writers to work in a borderline ludicrous number of plot twists, eureka moments, and cliff hangers in place of thoughtful, time-consuming small-talk or character definition. JJ Bailey’s masterpiece is not, nor will it be, a show defined by its acting, and certainly not by its writing, but neither is the genre. Network television is defined by ambition (I should know I watched 30 Rock). And while a show like The Hunting Party simply cannot compare to a show like 30 Rock in the classic critical categories, it just delivered perhaps the most ridiculously plot-packed pilot episode I’ve ever seen. That kind of unchecked creativity and ambition, at the end of the day, is what brings audiences back, and despite the various surface-level limitations I can’t help but consider myself a part of this audience. I will be back tonight for more.

WORST GIRL ON THE CULTURE GYRE Ian Thomas Sherry, 5/17/2026 Slayyyter released her third studio album, WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA on March 27, 2026. On May 13, 2026, they requested that we review it. Upon further inspection, Slayyyter is a Missouri gal, who worked her way from Soundcloud through Fader Records to Columbia for her big coming out this record. Part of the Midwest hardcore wave that’s dominated the pop underground over the last decade or so, she’s as legitimate a performer and producer as she is a representative of her pop influences. We’re honored to have received the assignment. (Track 1) “DANCE…” is a demonstrative introduction reminiscent of Lady Gaga’s 2025 project MAYHEM , as Slayyyter does a bit of vocal soaring on the refrain and rides the ebbs and flows of a grumbling pop beat that subsides and rebuilds for a bridge before more “oooooooooooouuuuaaaaaaaaahs.” (Track 2) “BEAT UP CHANEL$” shifts the LP into the next gear. A bouncy hyperpop beat takes over and Slayyyter’s MC persona introduces herself. Here’s a bit: “Sex, money, drugs, chains on my chest, vintage Celine/ Diamond grills, champagne bottles, I get for free/ I want sex, money, bitches, and the stickiest weeed” - holy cow. So clearly Slayyyter is a partier, rager is probably the more accurate term, but she glides more nimbly on the back half of track 2, somewhat resembling Gwenn Stefani (though I doubt the two would agree politically). As for personality, I’ll point to the dollar sign in the center of the thoughtfully titled album’s cover, intentional themes of attachment on (Track 3) CANNIBALISM!” and throughout, plus the ongoing theme of fanatical fame-fun-&-fortune-chasing. (Track 5) “CRANK” may be my favorite. The beat begins pulsating and riveting for nearly 30 seconds before Slayyyter starts spilling bars all over it, a siren begins to whirr in the background, and she requests that her DJ “CRANK IT!” She revs it up similarly, with increasing gumption, several times before the song’s end and spits quality verses in between, well-rounded and incessant. (Track 6) “GAS STATION” is a solid lil story song with an increasingly throbbing baseline that supports this flighty chorus: “When you left me all alone at the gas station/ I was crying out my eyes out of desperation/ I kept looking at my phone, I was hoping you would call…” Let’s get back to raging. (Track 7) “YES GODDD” does just that. The waves of acid bass mixed to wash overtop the vocals simulate a crazed pit show, MC screaming in between the DJs pounding sound, and while there are actually some great lyrics in the build, this track is all about the title line. Slayyyter repeatedly screams “YES GOOOODDDDDDD” with unrelenting fervor and it takes me to the place it was meant to be performed (minus the fumes). Ok, maybe this is my favorite. (Track 8) “UNKNOWN LOVERZ” is a washy refrain from its predecessor. For one of the few, if not the only wholesome track on the record, Slayyyter chooses shades of Magdalena Bay as her sonic scape, and reminds me of Wet Leg’s Rhian Teasedale on the spoken bridge. She carries a passably popified prototype of the same sound into (Track 9) “OLD FLING$,” but the album’s third STANDOUT track comes next. Track 10 has the sound of an important song from the needle drop; if that’s hard to imagine you’ll have to listen. “You think I see you?/ You think I care about you? / You think you strike some kind of nerve, do ya? / Oh you know the DJ? (oh she knows the djjjj) / No, you know the owner, right? / Oh, you know my boyfriend? / Do you know me from somewhere?... ‘I’M ACTUALLY KIND OF FAMOUS’.” ( beat drop ) When Slayyyter knows she has lightning in a bottle, she completes excellent songs. I’d love to know whether she writes the song and seeks a fitting instrumental or makes a machine gun beat and then decides to write something special. Whatever the case, she delivers. (Track 11) “$T. LOSER” is no different. This song exhibits a vengefully simple questioning of a past connection: “I think about you / Do you think about me?” – over and over. That doesn’t stop the track from building from a rigid beat to a soaring backing for Slayyyter to once again emulate Lady Gaga, singing with all her might and control amongst the strobes. It’s on the less sonically impactful tracks, like (Track 14) “BRITTANY MURPHY.,” which are more lyrically focused, that I find myself wondering if she ought to enlist some session musicians to better bring to life her apparent visions. The soundboard is only so deep. However, for this LP, passable tracks like those are a rarity. Slayyyter is unmistakably driven, stylistically focus, and on her way to the center stage. She just announced dates for her Australian tour, where she’ll no doubt be greeted with the warmest of EDM crowds, and she’s set to appear on Jimmy Fallon Tuesday (5/19) if you care to watch that. I’m personally tickled to have been brought into the dialogue on another rising artist and thoroughly enjoyed the record. As for Slayyyter, good luck getting exceedingly rich and famous, tis the dream they’ve sold us. THE WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA is an 8.6.

Tabs On Tigers: In Memorium 10/27/2025 BY: IAN SHERRY On October 10, the Detroit Tigers were eliminated from the MLB Postseason. Tabs On Tigers Vol. 5 Is anyone surprised? Something about the intensity of my Tigers fandom and the connectedness I feel with fellow fans makes me unrealistically confident that I can speak for everyone. So in regard to the question above, our answer is no. Last year, General Manager Scott Harris and Manager AJ Hinch enjoyed the spoils of public opinion as their squad’s late-season comeback placed them in rare postseason company, but this year brought a historically singular collapse. The story of the Tigers’ eventual demise is simple, and it began at the trade deadline. The specifics of Scott Harris’ acquisitions on July 31 spawned a million complaints and a few simple questions. ‘Why these guys?’ is a question that kept 97.1 phone lines hot for the duration of August and September, as the Tigers squandered a 15.5-game divisional lead. Following the righteous elimination of our wounded cats in Seattle, the collective’s questions are changing. The focus has shifted away from the forgettable acquisitions and onto the attitude of the front office. What were they thinking? Scott Harris’ actions were those of a middling team with reserved playoff ambitions, not the number 1 team in baseball. Kyle Finnegan and Raphael Montero made for intriguing projects down the stretch, and proved themselves roster-worthy come October, unlike Charlie Morton or Chris Paddock. However, roster worthiness is not the scale by which playoff-bound teams calculate their deadline moves. Where was the hunger? In the days of Dave Dombrowski, a strong Tigers team could expect an addition to the middle of the batting order or starting rotation. With Javier Baez signed to the single costly contract on a promising roster full of moderately talented players with shallow experience, D would not have hesitated to pounce on a $30 million player. Harris didn’t have to look far. Former division rivals Carlos Correa, Shane Bieber, and Josh Naylor should be familiar to Tigers fans, as should Eugenio Suarez and his career-high 49 homers. Did he know? The Tigers could have won the World Series. With Skubal and Mize, the playoff experienced Flaherty, and a legitimate edition to the rotation, the staff would have been perfectly suited for a 5-game series. The bullpen was not playoff-worthy, but it was just a dominant arm away from serviceable. The batting order far surpassed its offensive production of 2024, but you could feel the breeze of their bats from the upper deck during the cold stretches, the longest of which came with the changing weather. Yes, Scott Harris faced problems, but concrete solvable problems of endlessly greater simplicity than those faced by Al Avila, Harris’ scapegoated predecessor. Avila was all too aware of the difficulty of the ‘rebuilding’ task he inherited (to the point of paralysis). Harris on the other hand, seemed unfamiliar with the position he found himself in entering August – a competitive, yet incomplete team sitting gingerly atop the American League. It seems unlikely that Harris didn’t believe in the squad’s World Series potential, considering their record at the break. Yet it feels even less probable that he thought they were a sure-in. Did Scott Harris try but and fail to improve the Tigers roster amid the competitive inter-team market? Did he fail to earn he respect of other organizations? Did he lose his grip on the goal at hand – improving the team for a postseason run - while clinging to his prospects? Or did he just flat out fail to make a sincere effort? Scott Harris did not commit any philosophical misdeeds. He is not the only person to blame, just the easiest. Sure, AJ Hinch’s oddball bullpen management may have cost the Tigers a game or two in October, and Riley Greene’s acknowledgement of his strikeout problem confirms a fundamental issue at the top of the order. Furthermore, injuries to the rotation plague Detroit year in and year out, and the bullpen is undeniably mediocre. Yet, there they were in the postseason once again, poised to make a deeper run – if only… Even after taking the opposite path into the fall, the Tigers once again hit the road for the AL Wild Card Series to dispose of their opponents - this time a weakened Cleveland team – and again the Tigers, behind Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, fell in game five of the ALDS to a division winner. In other words, a season that flaunted positive results of the faithful but tentative mindset of this Tigers regime managed to end where it began: second place in the division and ALDS losers. Déjà vu. Now, Scott Harris is reportedly reviving his pursuit of Alex Bregman, who unsurprisingly snubbed the Tigers for Boston, only to opt out of his 2-year $40 million deal in search of more money - (they should call him ‘Breadman’) - making his injury-riddled 2025 season a prove-it campaign devoid of proof. Will Harris really chase that dragon for another winter? Will you?

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

Flowers By Ian Sherry 7/16/2025 Durand Jones & The Indications are a staple in contemporary soul, and Flowers is exactly as good as it should be. Along with Thee Sacred Souls , Durand Jones & The Indications are leading a small-but-steady wave of old-school soul that began rolling at the end of last decade. Composed of the excellent dual vocalists Durand Jones and Aaron Frazier, plus the band they formed in college, The Indications have certainty in their musical identity, given their control over its development and a keen awareness of their collective comfort zone. That doesn’t guarantee a successful project though - the next step is always the trickiest. Their last effort, Private Space (21) , is proof of that. Feeling the need to branch out stylistically, more prominently feature Aaron Frazier, and cover a variety of other bases, The Indications produced a solid record, but not their most cohesive effort. Since then, Durand Jones got a load of personal material out on Wait Til I Get Over (23) , and Aaron Frazier released his second solo project last year. The healthy relationship they’ve curated as co-creatives is richly evident in the band’s re-amped fusion this time around. Flowers ’ opening grooves aren’t standouts, but they establish the gentle trotting soul sound that became this record’s sweetspot. The fifth track, “Flower Moon,” is the best example of the initial safety-net-soul tunes, but the following “Really Wanna Be With You” is where the record takes off. Track 6 marks the album’s first noticeably gutsy undertaking. Staying within the already-established feel, The Indications began to focus on their more elaborate structural ambitions. Jones and co. are no strangers to a pre-chorus (or drawn-out songs), but this song features a sizable pre-chorus-chorus combo on two separate occasions in addition to a few strong verses. That kind of macho songwriting is very reminiscent of soul’s prime – but one name in particular springs to mind. If Durand Jones wasn’t intentionally channeling Isaac Hayes on this churning soul tune, Ike’s spirit was working through him. While The Indications don’t possess the firepower of a prime Memphis soul section, they clearly understood the assignment and with Jones pushing his vocal limits as the song’s frontman, the result is a standout track. Now Flowers is rolling. The album’s 7th track is the pinnacle of The Indication’s sound to date. “Been So Long” m akes excellent use of all the tools at the band’s disposal. Aaron Frazier is listed as the league vocalist, fitting for the songs initially dreamy feel. As the song progresses, however, Frazier fades more frequently into a host of mellow voices. That communal feel creeps up on the listener throughout the song, removing the focus from the primary vocalist and spreading it across all aspects of the music, from the subtly growing instrumentals to the lyrics of the 3rd and 4th verse (which are by far the catchiest on the album). Then, all too soon, the 3:16 has elapsed This band has a habit of getting stronger as they go. The balance between Frazier and Jones, which they wrestled with last album, has never been a combative issue to my knowledge, just a good problem to have when it comes to making cohesive creative music. The tentative middle ground between the two talented vocalists is an easy place to settle when it comes to using both to the best of their abilities; this album’s first 5 songs are evidence of that. However, as Durand Jones & The Indications dug deeper conceptually on the back stretch of the LP, the 2 talents began to find their perfect balance. Following the feel-good track 7, Aaron Frazier delivers a spot-on Smokey-like soul performance on “Everything.” Officially swapping slappers, Jones responds with a classic Indications-style socially conscious anthem in “Rust and Steel.” From there, Frazier and Jones share the performative load with ease, seamlessly combining efforts on the rangy soul track “If Not For Love” (which comes complete with a sick sax solo) and the well-placed closing track “Without You” . Flowers has left me with very few complaints, and believe it or not, I love not complaining! It was clear from start to finish that Durand Jones & The Indications had a firm grasp on their strengths, an awareness of potential weakness, and a concentrated will to create a product with those awarenesses in mind. The band’s muted sonic palate was a perfect match for all the album’s undertakings, providing the old-school feel and preventing the band from feeling thin in comparison to their soul predecessors. The songs feel intentionally arranged, and none are worth skipping. It’s an oh-so-satisfyingly complete album, and even without the old-school style, that makes this record a classic. Flowers is a 9.2.

GOD DID NOT WANT THIS BY: Ian Sherry 9/19/22 DJ Khaled is one of the most polarizing figures in the music industry. His albums often read more like who's who in popular music than a regular old track list. His newest album God Did is no different. A music tycoon known for producing hits with established stars and dominating the billboard, DJ Khaled is a master of marketing if nothing else. He makes this clear in his newest album which has produced 10 songs that graced the billboard hot 100 including the 47 second intro from Drake. Big numbers and recognition on the billboard unfortunately don’t guarantee good music. In this case they certainly do not. DJ Khaled has a habit of ruining songs that had a real chance of being good with repetition and drawn out verses which he doesn’t bother getting trimmed. Perhaps it is because he relies so heavily on features and is hesitant to step into the other artists’ world. A reliance that is completely unnecessary by the way. It is possible to make a great album as a producer without overloading on features. Kenny Beats did so already this year with Louie, an album I highly recommend. Speaking of good beats DJ Khaled showcases his best one on the second track of the album. The title track “GOD DID” includes an interesting beat and a great verse from Rick Ross. Unfortunately, it also includes an extra thirty seconds of Jay Z which feels purely unnecessary. Perhaps the greatest torture on this song though, is the well executed feature from John Legend at the end. DJ Khaled didn’t stop there though. He also includes the track “KEEP GOING” which includes several decent verses from Lil Durk, 21 Savage, and Roddy Rich respectively. Unfortunately it also includes a repetitive beat that demands the same flow from all three rappers and by the time the third feature rolls around it is unbearable. These songs were close to being good, in a way that's sadder than a completely awful song because the potential is obvious. That being said, it only gets worse from here. There are plenty of songs on this album that aren’t worth listening to, in fact it's the majority, but there are also songs that are ludacris in general. The first is “USE THIS GOSPEL” which features Kanye West and Eminem. This song was released in 2019 on Kanye West’s hip hop gospel fusion album Jesus Is King, which received mixed reviews at best. Admittedly the original release of this song was excellent. It had a feature from one of the greatest rap duos of all time in Clipse and a sultry saxophone feature from Kenny G. This re-release is bad in comparison. It has a painful feature from Eminem and anyone listening, having heard the original, would be tempted to listen to the first one. The most annoying part is DJ Khaled had no hand in the original song, essentially defeating the reasoning for its new version. Kanye himself has released songs over beats he made for other artists following the original release, but at least he made the original beat. There is also a postmortem song from Juice WRLD called “Juice WRLD DID”. The entire song is Juice WRLD and it feels more like DJ Khaled flexing the fact that he has a song with the beloved SoundCloud sensation who passed away in 2019. Suffice to say there's a reason this song wasn't released while Juice was alive. The song is lyrically weak and the hook is repeated far too often because the verses themselves are short and lacking. If it weren’t for the tone of Juice’s voice it would be impossible to listen to. There are a few highlights on the album. There better be with this much talent. DJ Khaled has so many connections that he often slips into different styles of production within hip hop. “THESE STREETS KNOW MY NAME” is well executed even if it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. It has a beat that continually switches up and exciting features from Jamaican artists Bounty Killer, Skillibeng, Sizzla, Buju Banton, and Capleton. “IT AIN'T SAFE” is another good song. In this case he imitates the current southern rap style with hints of modern Detroit production. Nardo Whick and Kodak Black have solid features and the song glides as well as it can considering the style of production and lyrical flows that the pair of Florida rappers chose. “BEAUTIFUL” featuring Future and SZA and “BILLS PAID” featuring Latto and City Girls are probably the most palatable songs on the album. They don’t do anything groundbreaking but they are solid and I wouldn’t be surprised if they achieve the biggest streaming numbers in the long run. The first benefits from a smooth feature from Future and a perfect chorus from SZA. The second includes fun verses from Latto and City Girls over an upbeat soul sample from Eddie Kendricks. Overall this album is another bloated and overdone example of the pop rap DJ Khaled is able to reproduce every single time. Of course it has its high points, because of the sheer amount of talent, but it is ultimately dragged down by the repetition, ridiculous and cringy themes, and lack of musical creativity. I am sure it will make lots of money and be heard around the US for the next six months but it is important to separate the idea of commercial success from the essential resource that is good music. Someday I hope DJ Khaled can make this distinction. 1/10

Tabs On Tigers 2/18/2025 BY: IAN SHERRY Forward: The Issue of Immediacy Greetings sports fans. You’ve heard about the Luka Doncic trade. The 25-year-old Slovenian star, formerly of the Dallas Mavericks, was traded to the Lakers within the first 24 hours of February for Hall of Fame Swiss cheese slice Anthony Davis and some change. Within those same 24 hours, like clockwork, Shams Charania’s early-bird tip was broadcasted to Americans nationwide via ESPN alert. The result, then, was a media-fueled and interpersonally experienced hellstorm of unkempt sporting enthusiasm and perplexed fandom that has yet to fully cease. The bone I’d like to briefly pick with the phenomenon above doesn’t concern the aforementioned hellstorm nor the reliability of the American sporting news system. It’s the pace. Mainstream sports journalism, because of its constant active, proactive, and reactive content stream, tends to skew in an emotional, argumentative direction that intertwines with fandom and biases to the point that the coverage becomes lost in the sport itself. With media being as conclusive and invasive as it is in today’s age, the lines between your couch at home and an pro locker room are more blurred than ever. While there certainly are benefits of this arrangement, I’ve been more aware of the dangers recently. I think it suffices to say, and this reflects across most genres of journalism to an extent, that the competitive rush to be lead opinion on a subject you’re passionate about can be blinding, and its tangible in the mosaic of bad takes that we’re meant to recognize as authority in today’s reportorial landscape. Resistance to that is The Culture Gyre’s angle indiscriminately. Now please join me in embarking on coverage of a subject I was born to discuss: Tigers Baseball. Tabs On Tigers Vol. 1 Alex Bregman’s 3-year 120-million-dollar contract became official Thursday, February 13th. In that moment he became the third highest annually paid position player, behind just Ohtani and Soto and tied with Judge, and in that same moment, a bullet was dodged in southeast Michigan. That came following the Tigers’ months-long pursuit of the veteran third baseman. General manager Scott Harris and the majority of the fanbase felt that Bregman would be a concrete solution for a currently uncertain foundation at the hot corner. Harris went as far as to offer a 5-year 170-million-dollar contract that most closely resembled the 7-year 200-million-dollar deal Bregman thought he was worth, but that was not to be. Now, the discussion surrounding Tigers team improvement has shifted to the trade market, but we’d like to offer a more complete synopsis of the most recent developments and current condition of this 2025 Tigers team. The most pressing concern of fans headed into free agency was the left side of the infield. While the starting pitching staff was alarmingly thin on paper last year, it’s hard to argue with the hodge-podged late-season results, plus having the reigning Cy Young offers a certain level of security. Harris addressed it anyhow with the thrifty signing of the veteran (and already inured) Alex Cobb, who’s quietly carried a sub-4 ERA for four consecutive years, and the recent readdition of the flourishing Jack Flaherty. Add a pair of bullpen arms, (one great and one solid) in Tommy Kahnle and John Brebbia, and an assortment of sub-30-year-old starting pitchers – plus Kenta Maeda - competing for a spot at the end of our rotation (2 until Cobb returns) and suddenly this pitching staff feels legit. But still, no signings on the left side. The left side of the infield – the carrot on a stick. Gleyber Torres used to play there, but not since the arrival of better fielding prospects on the Yankees infield. From there, the former 38-homerun all-star’s relationship with his former team began to wash away, and as the impact of that process began to show itself on the field over the past couple seasons, the stream carried him to Detroit. The Tigers front office locked him up for a season at $15k, just half the yearly offering we placed on Alex Bregman’s table. While Torres will have to earn his play in a platoon-heavy infield like he got tired of doing in New York and his overall game doesn’t compare to Boston’s most recent overspend, his offensive upside is that of a player with equivalent homerun power to Bregman. He is admittedly a notch below in most other offensive categories, but just one notch, and the optimist in you might expect a jump in plate discipline given his more veteran role on this team as well as an increase in RBI production assuming he finds himself more central in the Tigers lineup, which still boasts zero established major league left-side infielders. The Torres addition, of course, means a move for the Tigers’ long-term commitment Kolt Keith, but not to third base, his former position. Instead, Spencer Torkelson drew the short end of the stick this winter. The former number-one pick has had obvious struggles at the major league level, showing flashes at times on both sides of the ball, but ultimately scraping his way to replacement level over his first three seasons. With Jace Jung and Trey Sweeney being a part of the miracle Mudhen formula that propelled the Tigers to last year’s post-season and Matt Vierling working in at third, it seems Scott Harris decided the direst situation on the infield was at first base. At least, it was the most easily solvable. The fact is, problems remain unsolved headed into Spring Training, but Baez, McKinstry, Maeda, Hinch’s musical chairs batting order, the hitting coaches, and the away uniforms are for another day. For today, we have a minor leaguer, Trey Sweeney, attempting to prove himself a pro at shortstop. We have an ultra-scrappy yet questionable three-man platoon at third base among the switch-hitting Jung, versatile and athletic Vierling, and lefty-killer Ibanez. That goes with a right side manned by Torres and Keith (perhaps Torkelson against a lefty) to round out a blatantly poor defensive infield. Luckily, they’re backed up by what could prove to be an excellent outfield with premium left fielder Riley Greene, thoroughbred center fielder Parker Meadows, and the looming power threat, Kerry Carpenter, in right field. We also have a rotation book-ended by the lefty Cy Young Tarik Skubal and the potential of a Hinch chaosball platoon in the 5th slot, which will, in theory, allow Cobb to rehab and settle into the middle while Flaherty picks up where he left off and Reese Olsen continues to grow into one of the leagues most underrated young arms. We have a full bullpen and a decision to make at closer. We have a coach with the team’s faith. We have an active front office led by a diplomatic and measured GM with at least some of the owner’s attention and a willingness to trade. We have a lot to look forward to.

MAYHEM By Ian Sherry 3/31/2025 Lady Gaga released MAYHEM , her first studio album in five years, on March 7, 2025. With a collection of songs that meet the moment, Gaga has reasserted herself atop the charts. Lady Gaga is selling this project as inspired by a variety of 80s and 90s influences, but I’d describe it as a return to form. Her last studio album skewed too far into mall-music for my liking and, with the intrusion of movie soundtracks in her recent discography, it’s been since 2016 that we got a musically ambitious album from Lady Gaga and since 2013 that we’ve seen one of this quality. No song better fulfills this record’s sales pitch than “Zombieboy.” The chant-clap intro briefly sets the stage for the high-energy disco-electronic instrumental that drives the track. She rides the 80s revival wave and energetically fills out the musically encased vocal pockets for a sonically airtight product. The record feels contemporary, original, and unique to her well-established catalog. The MAYHEM sound’s X factor is the acid bass. The strobing electronic bass that flutters on songs throughout the record is reminiscent of Kendrick Lamar and his GNX production team’s “squabble up” . An album this fresh, however, is the result of more than just one new trick. All these years later, Lady Gaga is circularly collecting on her own influence in electronic music, and the results are inspiring. “Abracadabra” was a smash hit before the end of the first verse. It has the unmistakable, vintage feel of a Lady Gaga anthem. The bouncy electronic introduction is excellent. From there, she effortlessly builds energy before dropping an immediately iconic Gaga-talk chorus pumped full of that acid wobble on the low end. She commands the refrain with electrifying swagger, chanting in sync with the punchy dance beat for my personal high point of the album. Listening to Lady Gaga’s fervorous commitment to song concepts is as much fun 17 years in as it’s ever been. If it weren’t for her comfortability in her own sound and a willingness to work with fresher cross-industry influences, this album couldn’t compete in a trend-based genre like pop. “Killah” , for instance, is a ridiculous undertaking of influences that lands closer to corny than cool across the first couple verses, still it’s saved by a crisp chorus and a stellar instrumental feature from Gesaffelstein . Gesaffelstein was also MAYHEM ’s primary producer, which made him responsible for stylistically ushering Lady Gaga into the swing of this decade’s musical landscape. He generally delivered, bridging the gap between her vintage sound and today’s charts with notable chemistry and quality. The best songs featured filled-out instrumentals and ear-catching moments, while the small population of weaker songs suffered from thin backing undeserving of Gaga’s unrelenting vocal effort – the P!nk effect. Gaga sings like a dynamo, preventing any song from flopping - something that major pop releases are so prone to accepting. Her performances are potent, enough to elevate a song like “Blade Of Grass” to a touching ballad, and enough to somewhat salvage instrumentally empty duds like “Don’t Call Tonight” or “The Beast” . She shows veteran songwriting chops, only running long a few times on pop drags while manufacturing danceable songs, one after another, with timely shifts that allow her to choose from her full arsenal of sounds on any given song. Her lyrics are still the unmistakable mix of cheesy and genuine – the parody that results in goofs like “Perfect Celebrity” and number-1-worthy tracks like “Vanish Into You” – and I can’t imagine them any other way. At her best, Lady Gaga has a generationally distinct sound that can churn out 10/10 songs each time the pieces align (3 this year). The attention to detail throughout this record, which is quite contradictory to the title, pays dividends and is especially evident in the synchronicity between Gaga, the punches of the instrumental, and the infrequent but impactful backing vocals. This is music the product of a living icon, and this album may prove to be an essential member of that icon’s discography – a later-model success that further cements Lady Gaga’s legacy as an artist and musical innovator. MAYHEM is a 8.3 .

2024 In Review BY IAN SHERRY 1/1/2025 When I started The Culture Gyre more than a year ago now, it was in hopes that I'd get to cover years like this. Enjoy! Animal Cheer - Big Search Here is the definition of a solid record. Animal Cheer is made by and for music fans, and that’s evident on every track. Big Search is the solo outfit of Matthew Popieluch and this was a true solo undertaking, which only speaks to his artistic vision. Each song, in addition to the seemingly guaranteed warmth and familiarity, has the solid bones and decisive musical palette needed to create a status quo just waiting to be elevated. That elevation can be found in his applied influences, the most encompassing being George Harrison - but if you listen you’ll hear hints of a Rubin-ized Johnny Cash, Pink Floyd, King Krule, and perhaps a variety of your personal favorites. Big Search’s newest result is a 8. 18 "Loose Ends" "Wellsprings" "Luck Rains Down" Here In The Pitch - Jessica Pratt Jessica Pratt has mastered the art of simplicity. Her songbird voice floats through the thin but palpable atmosphere of her music alongside her washy acoustic guitar, and that tandem remains undefeated on her latest release. As an artist with what some might consider limited tools, Pratt has spoken about her fear of being pigeonholed, and in some ways that’s what this record addresses. In comparison to her other equally short n’ safe LPs, her 2024 effort does a better job of spanning the spectrum of her stylistic abilities. Whether it be a subtly rising synth here, or the rare if not singular background vocal there, Pratt’s excellence in the details -particularly when crafting the sonic backdrop - allowed her to guide each song on this album in whatever direction she pleased. Also - if Pitchfork listened through all 27 minutes they’d have “The Last Year” at no. 2 on The 100 Best Songs of 2024, not “Life Is” - just saying. Here In The Pitch is a 8.2. 17 "Life Is" "The Better Hate" "The Last Year" Alligator Bites Never Heal - Doechii Of all the year’s rap releases, this may be the most intriguing. While it had been four years since Doechii released an album, it’s clear now she’d been building to something, because after consistently releasing singles over that gap she finally struck the charts in May of 2023 with “What It Is (Block Boy)”. A little over a year after that warning shot she dropped this ambitious 19-track LP. Like many other artists who found their beginnings on the internet, Doechii’s talent for entertainment has never been in doubt - that remains true through this entire tracklist. She raps with as much confidence and bubbly performative energy as ever while delivering her most cutting lyrical performances to date. Additionally, she included several vocally impressive cuts that showcase her take on contemporary pop/r&b. It’s the kind of song collection that can draw endless comparisons, from the obvious Doja Cat to the legendary Missy Elliot - neither of which ever ventured into boom bap, which Doechii does on more than one occasion here. Alligator Bites Never Heal , while not perfect, seems to cover as many bases as the late Rickey Henderson - though with a 2% lower rate of success (yes I’ll do math for music and baseball) - making it a true showcase album. Whether it be the lyrical content, which I mostly found compelling, the cultivation of emotion, or the musical stylings themselves, variety was the name of the game for Doechii this year, and she played the game very well. Alligator Bites Never Heal is a 8.3. 16 "DENIAL IS A RIVER" "DEATH ROLL" "NISSAN ULTIMA" Imaginal Disk - Magdalena Bay While I wasn’t previously familiar with the Magdalena Bay beyond a small handful of tracks and bits of internet chatter, the Floridian pop duo will have a hard time escaping my attention after this 2024 LP. Music makers of the future - this record feels like an exploration of the many corners of pop they felt were within reach, from borderline-retro synth pop to the unmistakable elements of indie and hyperpop on each track. This sound is their own, and despite the insistence of their growing fanbase that Magdalena Bay has long been A-List-ready, this has the feel of a true breakthrough album. Does that mean they’ve reached maximum speed in their lane? Absolutely not. The borders of pop music broaden every year, opening endless opportunities for a group with this level of ingenuity to become even more prolific. Their versatility and song-making ability are on display throughout this 2024 product, but some tracks undeniably stand above the rest and consistent replication of that elevating ‘it factor’ would vault them to the pinnacle of any given year in music. Imaginal Disk is a 8.3. 15 "Killing Time" "Love Is Everywhere" "Cry For Me" CHROMAKOPIA - Tyler The Creator For the fourth time in a row, Tyler The Creator released an album that perfectly met the moment. Settling somewhere in between Igor and Call Me If You Get Lost , he continued to hone his own pop/alt hip-hop sound with yet another noticeable increase in maturity and production quality. Tyler covers every corner of the sound he’s spent a decade zeroing in on, which makes for a wide musical range that allows him to address anything on his mind and lean into whatever stylistic tropes he wishes. My favorite trope from this particular record was his brilliant song progressions. While he adheres to portions of traditional song structure, Tyler has cultivated this unique ability to make songs with a definite directional vision minus the limiting aspects of typical song design. Much like Igor, most tracks feel more concerned with the build and payoff than creating the literary definition of ‘song’. The difference is that CHROMAKOPIA has years of realized talent and acquired skill aiding its ambitious track-by-track undertakings. It’s clean, and while not groundbreaking, singularly focused, or conceptually compelling, it feels personal and complete. Tyler’s most recent success is a 8.4. 14 "Noid" "Sticky" "I Hope You Find Your Way Home" Manning Firewords - MJ Lenderman I’ve seen and spoken to folks who hail this record as the year’s best. I understand the appeal - besides his strengths as an artist, MJ Lenderman’s music simply feels good. Lenderman has an earthy genuine way about him and it leaks all through his music. From his chest-voice vocals to his recognizably pleasant guitar, there’s no mistaking the Wednesday guitarist for any other day of the week. Speaking of his main gig, the North Carolinian group does a lot of bridging their folk-rock influences with the world of alt-noise, and while it can result in an occasionally elevated sound, it’s been a treat to hear Lenderman get so much solo exposure this year. Some things don’t need elevating, although I suspect his best work has yet to come. Manning Fireworks is a 8.4. 13 "Joker Lips" "Wristwatch" "You Don't Know What Shape I'm In" GNX - Kendrick Lamar Well yeah. Between his triumphant feud with Drake and this chart-topping record, Lamar reached heights of celebrity this year that no rapper has quite seen since Travis Scott dropped Astroworld (‘19). His reinvigoration of the West Coast sound he emerged and, for a time, separated from is largely responsible for this album’s success, and while the record will likely go down as the release that followed “Not Like Us”, I believe it may one day receive credit for establishing the sound the next generation of Kendrick Lamar fans grew up with. Kendrick’s victory lap is a 8.5. 12 "squabble up" "hey now" "heart pt. 6" Underdressed At The Symphony - Faye Webster If you haven’t heard Faye Webster you’ve been missing out - all she does is make good music. Her mellow indie-rock often relies on breezy instrumentals and the pureness of her voice but ultimately focuses on simply finding catchy grooves, which she does with ease. On Underdressed At The Symphony the 27-year-old upheld that standard and included some more active listens for fans who may want more than to float beside her for 10 songs. Whether you came for the Lil Yachty feature or to find the next Faye Webster fixtures on a playlist of yours (that’s me), you’ll be pleased with this record. Faye’s most recent people-pleaser is a 8.6. 11 "But Not Kiss" "Wanna Quit All The Time" "He Loves Me Yeah!" I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU - JPEGMAFIA By this point, if you’ve heard JPEGMAFIA you’ve got an opinion. He is the foremost artist in his field of - let’s say ‘abstract’ rap. Known for his hyper hodgepodge instrumentals, loose performances, and goofy lyrics, assessments of his music range from ‘he’s the best rapper ever’ to ‘this isn’t music’, but I’ve always found his records to be mixed bags. Last year, with the help of Danny Brown, he released his most coordinated and listenable album at the time, and now he’s done it again. This 2024 LP reaches new heights of sonic palatability over a quality tracklist with perhaps the most stylistic and contextual range he’s ever shown, strongly displaying some of his most digestibly emotional songwriting ever, without compromising his signature nonsensical internet humor. His ability to seamlessly accommodate his features - namely Vince Staples and Denzel Curry - resulted in some of the best tracks on the record, and his production-based execution of increasingly ambitious song concepts is getting better and better. Peggy has always had all the tools he needs and I couldn’t be happier to see them come together in such a thorough and diverse offering. I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU is a 8.7. 10 "New Black History" "JPEGULTRA!" "either on or off the drugs" Bright Future - Adrianne Lenker There are few things I love more than supplementing a great album with a related Wikipedia scroll, and the latest LP from Big Thief’s timid leader Adrianne Lenker sent me to my favorite internet encyclopedia faster than any other record. I’ve always felt as though her pointedly midwestern blend of folk and alternative must’ve come from somewhere other than New York - her band’s home base. Turns out I was right (what else is new?). Much like her music, the sheer amount of life Lenker lived before recording her first album at the age of 13 lands somewhere between incredible and unnerving. For the length of Bright Future she toes that line, effortlessly communicating both the messages and moods she intends with the musical equivalent of comfort food for her fans. It’s yet another well-executed project from a woman who was born to be an artist, and while it may not touch the heights that certain Big Thief tracks do or have the pent-up energy of Songs (‘20), you’ll be hard-pressed to poke many holes in this safely stellar project. Bright Future is a 8.7 9 "Sadness As A Gift" "Vampire Empire" "Donut Seam" Dark Times - Vince Staples Vince Staples seems to have secured a solid B+ reputation across his first 7 studio albums, with The Big Fish Theory widely considered his masterpiece. That’s the status he’s been awarded, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the now 31-year-old never saw an upgrade in that respect. That’s what consistent coordinated releases do for an artist like Vince, and to me that’s a travesty. Vince Staples is one of the best artists in the rap game right now, and while he won’t throw it in your face, I will. Dark Times marks his third consecutive album-to-album improvement in terms of artistic and stylistic maturity. From the well-written songs throughout the record to the sonic palette which is the very best of the year, bar none, Vince is in complete control. His music feels calculated yet genuine, smooth yet rigid, laid back yet cutting, and you can only produce that kind of product if the product itself is your ultimate focus. This record, while not stylistically groundbreaking maximizes the sound he’s been working to perfect. If he chooses to move on to something new and does so with the same level of artistic execution he brought this year, everyone else better watch the hell out. Vince Staples’ best record yet is a 8.8 8 "Justin" "Children's Songs" "Little Homies" Almighty So 2 - Chief Keef Chief Keef struck again! Any year where the patron saint of the Southside sits atop the ranks of hip-hop albums is a good year in my book. Keef has been releasing generally solid projects in the 12 years following his emergence on, or rather creation of the drill rap scene we know today at the age of 16. Now, with the follow-up to his decade-old sophomore release Sosa’s struck gold again. As an artist whose reputation was staked and secured 4 minutes into his debut record, Chief Keef’s artistic development has gone severely underrated. So, if you haven’t been paying attention, he now is the near sole producer of his music, and that happens to be the greatest strength of this record. The production in question is by far the strongest I’ve heard on any drill record - he commands a massive energetic atmosphere on most of the songs which is nothing new to the drill formula, but with greater sonic depth and cleanliness than ever. His generally organic instrumentals only further legitimize the production effort, and he displays a greater understanding of the instruments themselves than producers pushing a similar envelope in the trap scene (Metro). The fact is, Chief Keef built this sound from the ground up while learning and developing his skills as a musician along the way and maintaining the performative stylings that won the hearts of his fans in the beginning. Now, the result is a new high water mark for not only himself but the drill scene at large. Almighty So 2 is a 8.9. 7 "1,2,3" "Banded Up" "Never Fly Here" Wall Of Eyes - The Smile The Smile is what you might call a perfect spinoff, and their third release (the first of two this year) is the perfect proof. When an established artist (or in this case three) embarks on a side project there is a key balance to be struck. First, in order to justify the spinoff in the first place the product ought to vary from their usual work, however straying too far opens up the risk of losing the original audience. If you’re wondering exactly how someone might go about striking that balance, give Wall Of Eyes a listen. Thom Yorke and co. brought the best elements of Radiohead to their 2024 record. Despite lacking the sonic brawn a 5-man band like Radiohead possesses, The Smile did a great job of cultivating similarly fantastic atmospheres, and I think it’s fair to say the thinner cast of musicians opened up greater stylistic flexibility. In a true example of doing more with less, the added air allowed for them to lean further into spacey psychedelic sounds as well as some of Skinner’s jazz inclinations and Yorke's more abstract vocal stylings. It’s a record made by true professionals with complete awareness of the tools in front of them and the collaborative mojo to execute some of the more difficult and conceptually loose tracks of their collective discographies. Wall Of Eyes is a 9. 6 "Wall Of Eyes" "Read The Room" "Friend Of A Friend" Mahashmashana - Father John Misty I’d like to say this is Father John Misty’s best album. A bold claim perhaps, especially for such an established artist with the dedicated fanbase he has, but one that can be easily backed up. While Mahashmashana may not prove to be loaded with signature tracks to the level of his 2012 debut, for instance, this 8-track 50-minute LP is packed front to back with significant undertakings. With 2 songs in the 4-minute range and the rest spanning 5-9 minutes each, Father John bit off as much as he ever has and executed at a new level. There are zero skips across a decently wide variety of songs, from his spiritual balladry to rambling rock and all the alternative space that he occupies so effortlessly in between. To me, it sounds as though the high-potential 43-year-old has reached a new level of comfortability within his music, and frankly, it shouldn’t be so easy to write and execute lengthy yet captivating songs in unwavering succession. That’s why as of right now, I’m placing Father John Misty on ‘perfect 10 watch’ - just wait. Father John Misty’s most complete effort to date is a 9. 5 "Josh Tillman and the Accidental Dose" "Screamland" "I Guess Time Just Makes A Fool of Us All" Diamond Jubilee - Cindy Lee Cindy Lee is a fairly massive talent. The music industry vet has performed in different groups, under different names, and in different genres, and all that seems to have led to the sort of indiscriminate ‘screw-you-attitude’ that can only be properly expressed by someone who’s either highly skilled, highly pissed off, or both. I know this because the murky abrasive nature of this music is exactly the sonic palette one might choose if they wished to avoid the underqualified attention of mainstream audiences. That approach has kept Cindy Lee in that perfect grey area where fantastic music can exist untouched and unbothered, which is no small feat. Unfortunately for Cindy, they might have blown that window wide open with their latest release Diamond Jubilee . The 2-hour 32-track triple record is a peak indie album (available for download on Bandcamp). Lee floats through genre-various influences with ease, challenging the listener on nearly every song while thriving in the tantalizing minimal complexity that makes this gaudy listen bearable. Rock, alternative, indie, folk, and psychedelic are no strangers to one another, but combined with the dual vocal deliveries, highly skilled and uniquely restrained guitar technique, and unwavering intention behind each track, this sound can be contained under just one umbrella: Diamond Jubilee. Cindy Lee’s odyssey LP is 9.1. 4 "All I Want Is You" "Dracula" "Lockstepp" Tigers Blood - Waxahatchee This was perhaps the best album referral I’ve ever received. Thanks Joe. Tigers Blood is not only my favorite record of the year - it’s also home to some of the most well-written and emotionally performed songs of the year, the most productive feature of the year in MJ Lenderman, and what I consider the best collection of vocal performances as well. Waxahatchee is a one-woman music machine who, with the help of a backing band can move you to tears with one song and out of your seat with the next. I found myself hanging on her every word, even considering the cost of a move to Alabama, because each track on this album somehow feels like home. She effortlessly combines elements of rock, alternative, folk, country, even a tasteful tinge of 2010s pop, and it all comes together in a sound I feel as though I’ve always known. I went back and listened to all of Kathryn Critfield’s other work, both under this outfit and in her previous band P.S. Elliot, and I can safely say that while all of her music prominently displays her strengths in one way or another Tigers Blood is simply another gear. I cannot wait to see what comes next. My personal favorite release of 2024 is a 9.2. 3 "3 Sisters" "Right Back To It" "365" Cowboy Carter - Beyonce Well, it’s official Beyonce has broken music. For the second release in a row, she arrived on the album cover on horseback in full pop-star regalia and released the most bombastic project of the year. Why would a veteran pop star with nothing left to prove coming off an unnecessarily adventurous but brilliantly executed electronic pop/r&b album choose to backtrack and release her first ‘country’ album - because she felt her roots have been neglected, because there’s always more to prove, or simply because she can? While my best bet is all of the above, there’s only one person who can answer that question, after all, Beyonce answered every other question with her latest success. Cowboy Carter covers all the bases. It ranges stylistically through her bread and butter, back to Renaissance , and forward to a brand new fusion of pop, r&b, and country that she can call her own. While the album's most potent country tendencies are found in the content and tone rather than the musical stylings, Queen B’s ability to meld whichever genre tropes she pleases is on par with some of contemporary music’s most venerable names. The vocal onslaught was as strong and sustained as ever as she glided through a lengthy record packed with big-name features, gutsy covers, and statement after statement in the form of standout tracks and calculated lyrical presentations. She has mastered the art of the album (it’s like she’s seen my scoring system), from the rollout to the song placement and what I can only assume was a massive collaborative effort behind the scenes. Beyonce’s country takeover is a 9.3. 2 "AMERIICAN REQUIEM" "ALLIIGATOR TEARS" "YA YA" Brat - Charli XCX Well, this should be no surprise. Charli XCX first emerged from the London party scene and entered the pop charts more than a decade ago. Since then she’s carved out a niche of her own somewhere between pop and dance/electronic, become one of the driving forces in the ever-developing hyperpop scene, and secured a reputation as a sort of all-around-icon by the age of 32. Her playful partygirl aesthetic goes just as far towards wrangling new fans as it does towing her most veteran supporters along her musical journey, and with her stunning 2024 release it's safe to say she’s done fans of every kind a service. Brat is a pure hyperpop record, a career-best undertaking of innovation, and the kind of record that cements an artist's legacy, but most of all it is a movement. ‘Brat Summer’, Brat for Halloween, Brat as an adjective - when was the last time you heard the name of an album take on such a socially verbose nature? Never is my answer, and it's for good reason. It’s a perfectly digestible, near-perfect 15 songs over 41 minutes. Each one is danceable, means something to someone, and stays perfectly within the abstract but contagiously understandable world that is Brat . Each time I listen to this album, whether in the car, on my audiophile stereo setup, or in my noise-canceling world-blocking headphones I discover something new in the mix, something that makes a song better, something that further cements Brat as the album of the year. 2024’s best record is a 9.4. 1 "Von Dutch" "B2b" "365"

2024 In Review BY IAN SHERRY 1/1/2025 When I started The Culture Gyre more than a year ago now, it was in hopes that I'd get to cover years like this. Enjoy! Animal Cheer - Big Search Here is the definition of a solid record. Animal Cheer is made by and for music fans, and that’s evident on every track. Big Search is the solo outfit of Matthew Popieluch and this was a true solo undertaking, which only speaks to his artistic vision. Each song, in addition to the seemingly guaranteed warmth and familiarity, has the solid bones and decisive musical palette needed to create a status quo just waiting to be elevated. That elevation can be found in his applied influences, the most encompassing being George Harrison - but if you listen you’ll hear hints of a Rubin-ized Johnny Cash, Pink Floyd, King Krule, and perhaps a variety of your personal favorites. Big Search’s newest result is a 8. 18 "Loose Ends" "Wellsprings" "Luck Rains Down" Here In The Pitch - Jessica Pratt Jessica Pratt has mastered the art of simplicity. Her songbird voice floats through the thin but palpable atmosphere of her music alongside her washy acoustic guitar, and that tandem remains undefeated on her latest release. As an artist with what some might consider limited tools, Pratt has spoken about her fear of being pigeonholed, and in some ways that’s what this record addresses. In comparison to her other equally short n’ safe LPs, her 2024 effort does a better job of spanning the spectrum of her stylistic abilities. Whether it be a subtly rising synth here, or the rare if not singular background vocal there, Pratt’s excellence in the details -particularly when crafting the sonic backdrop - allowed her to guide each song on this album in whatever direction she pleased. Also - if Pitchfork listened through all 27 minutes they’d have “The Last Year” at no. 2 on The 100 Best Songs of 2024, not “Life Is” - just saying. Here In The Pitch is a 8.2. 17 "Life Is" "The Better Hate" "The Last Year" Alligator Bites Never Heal - Doechii Of all the year’s rap releases, this may be the most intriguing. While it had been four years since Doechii released an album, it’s clear now she’d been building to something, because after consistently releasing singles over that gap she finally struck the charts in May of 2023 with “What It Is (Block Boy)”. A little over a year after that warning shot she dropped this ambitious 19-track LP. Like many other artists who found their beginnings on the internet, Doechii’s talent for entertainment has never been in doubt - that remains true through this entire tracklist. She raps with as much confidence and bubbly performative energy as ever while delivering her most cutting lyrical performances to date. Additionally, she included several vocally impressive cuts that showcase her take on contemporary pop/r&b. It’s the kind of song collection that can draw endless comparisons, from the obvious Doja Cat to the legendary Missy Elliot - neither of which ever ventured into boom bap, which Doechii does on more than one occasion here. Alligator Bites Never Heal , while not perfect, seems to cover as many bases as the late Rickey Henderson - though with a 2% lower rate of success (yes I’ll do math for music and baseball) - making it a true showcase album. Whether it be the lyrical content, which I mostly found compelling, the cultivation of emotion, or the musical stylings themselves, variety was the name of the game for Doechii this year, and she played the game very well. Alligator Bites Never Heal is a 8.3. 16 "DENIAL IS A RIVER" "DEATH ROLL" "NISSAN ULTIMA" Imaginal Disk - Magdalena Bay While I wasn’t previously familiar with the Magdalena Bay beyond a small handful of tracks and bits of internet chatter, the Floridian pop duo will have a hard time escaping my attention after this 2024 LP. Music makers of the future - this record feels like an exploration of the many corners of pop they felt were within reach, from borderline-retro synth pop to the unmistakable elements of indie and hyperpop on each track. This sound is their own, and despite the insistence of their growing fanbase that Magdalena Bay has long been A-List-ready, this has the feel of a true breakthrough album. Does that mean they’ve reached maximum speed in their lane? Absolutely not. The borders of pop music broaden every year, opening endless opportunities for a group with this level of ingenuity to become even more prolific. Their versatility and song-making ability are on display throughout this 2024 product, but some tracks undeniably stand above the rest and consistent replication of that elevating ‘it factor’ would vault them to the pinnacle of any given year in music. Imaginal Disk is a 8.3. 15 "Killing Time" "Love Is Everywhere" "Cry For Me" CHROMAKOPIA - Tyler The Creator For the fourth time in a row, Tyler The Creator released an album that perfectly met the moment. Settling somewhere in between Igor and Call Me If You Get Lost , he continued to hone his own pop/alt hip-hop sound with yet another noticeable increase in maturity and production quality. Tyler covers every corner of the sound he’s spent a decade zeroing in on, which makes for a wide musical range that allows him to address anything on his mind and lean into whatever stylistic tropes he wishes. My favorite trope from this particular record was his brilliant song progressions. While he adheres to portions of traditional song structure, Tyler has cultivated this unique ability to make songs with a definite directional vision minus the limiting aspects of typical song design. Much like Igor, most tracks feel more concerned with the build and payoff than creating the literary definition of ‘song’. The difference is that CHROMAKOPIA has years of realized talent and acquired skill aiding its ambitious track-by-track undertakings. It’s clean, and while not groundbreaking, singularly focused, or conceptually compelling, it feels personal and complete. Tyler’s most recent success is a 8.4. 14 "Noid" "Sticky" "I Hope You Find Your Way Home" Manning Firewords - MJ Lenderman I’ve seen and spoken to folks who hail this record as the year’s best. I understand the appeal - besides his strengths as an artist, MJ Lenderman’s music simply feels good. Lenderman has an earthy genuine way about him and it leaks all through his music. From his chest-voice vocals to his recognizably pleasant guitar, there’s no mistaking the Wednesday guitarist for any other day of the week. Speaking of his main gig, the North Carolinian group does a lot of bridging their folk-rock influences with the world of alt-noise, and while it can result in an occasionally elevated sound, it’s been a treat to hear Lenderman get so much solo exposure this year. Some things don’t need elevating, although I suspect his best work has yet to come. Manning Fireworks is a 8.4. 13 "Joker Lips" "Wristwatch" "You Don't Know What Shape I'm In" GNX - Kendrick Lamar Well yeah. Between his triumphant feud with Drake and this chart-topping record, Lamar reached heights of celebrity this year that no rapper has quite seen since Travis Scott dropped Astroworld (‘19). His reinvigoration of the West Coast sound he emerged and, for a time, separated from is largely responsible for this album’s success, and while the record will likely go down as the release that followed “Not Like Us”, I believe it may one day receive credit for establishing the sound the next generation of Kendrick Lamar fans grew up with. Kendrick’s victory lap is a 8.5. 12 "squabble up" "hey now" "heart pt. 6" Underdressed At The Symphony - Faye Webster If you haven’t heard Faye Webster you’ve been missing out - all she does is make good music. Her mellow indie-rock often relies on breezy instrumentals and the pureness of her voice but ultimately focuses on simply finding catchy grooves, which she does with ease. On Underdressed At The Symphony the 27-year-old upheld that standard and included some more active listens for fans who may want more than to float beside her for 10 songs. Whether you came for the Lil Yachty feature or to find the next Faye Webster fixtures on a playlist of yours (that’s me), you’ll be pleased with this record. Faye’s most recent people-pleaser is a 8.6. 11 "But Not Kiss" "Wanna Quit All The Time" "He Loves Me Yeah!" I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU - JPEGMAFIA By this point, if you’ve heard JPEGMAFIA you’ve got an opinion. He is the foremost artist in his field of - let’s say ‘abstract’ rap. Known for his hyper hodgepodge instrumentals, loose performances, and goofy lyrics, assessments of his music range from ‘he’s the best rapper ever’ to ‘this isn’t music’, but I’ve always found his records to be mixed bags. Last year, with the help of Danny Brown, he released his most coordinated and listenable album at the time, and now he’s done it again. This 2024 LP reaches new heights of sonic palatability over a quality tracklist with perhaps the most stylistic and contextual range he’s ever shown, strongly displaying some of his most digestibly emotional songwriting ever, without compromising his signature nonsensical internet humor. His ability to seamlessly accommodate his features - namely Vince Staples and Denzel Curry - resulted in some of the best tracks on the record, and his production-based execution of increasingly ambitious song concepts is getting better and better. Peggy has always had all the tools he needs and I couldn’t be happier to see them come together in such a thorough and diverse offering. I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU is a 8.7. 10 "New Black History" "JPEGULTRA!" "either on or off the drugs" Bright Future - Adrianne Lenker There are few things I love more than supplementing a great album with a related Wikipedia scroll, and the latest LP from Big Thief’s timid leader Adrianne Lenker sent me to my favorite internet encyclopedia faster than any other record. I’ve always felt as though her pointedly midwestern blend of folk and alternative must’ve come from somewhere other than New York - her band’s home base. Turns out I was right (what else is new?). Much like her music, the sheer amount of life Lenker lived before recording her first album at the age of 13 lands somewhere between incredible and unnerving. For the length of Bright Future she toes that line, effortlessly communicating both the messages and moods she intends with the musical equivalent of comfort food for her fans. It’s yet another well-executed project from a woman who was born to be an artist, and while it may not touch the heights that certain Big Thief tracks do or have the pent-up energy of Songs (‘20), you’ll be hard-pressed to poke many holes in this safely stellar project. Bright Future is a 8.7 9 "Sadness As A Gift" "Vampire Empire" "Donut Seam" Dark Times - Vince Staples Vince Staples seems to have secured a solid B+ reputation across his first 7 studio albums, with The Big Fish Theory widely considered his masterpiece. That’s the status he’s been awarded, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the now 31-year-old never saw an upgrade in that respect. That’s what consistent coordinated releases do for an artist like Vince, and to me that’s a travesty. Vince Staples is one of the best artists in the rap game right now, and while he won’t throw it in your face, I will. Dark Times marks his third consecutive album-to-album improvement in terms of artistic and stylistic maturity. From the well-written songs throughout the record to the sonic palette which is the very best of the year, bar none, Vince is in complete control. His music feels calculated yet genuine, smooth yet rigid, laid back yet cutting, and you can only produce that kind of product if the product itself is your ultimate focus. This record, while not stylistically groundbreaking maximizes the sound he’s been working to perfect. If he chooses to move on to something new and does so with the same level of artistic execution he brought this year, everyone else better watch the hell out. Vince Staples’ best record yet is a 8.8 8 "Justin" "Children's Songs" "Little Homies" Almighty So 2 - Chief Keef Chief Keef struck again! Any year where the patron saint of the Southside sits atop the ranks of hip-hop albums is a good year in my book. Keef has been releasing generally solid projects in the 12 years following his emergence on, or rather creation of the drill rap scene we know today at the age of 16. Now, with the follow-up to his decade-old sophomore release Sosa’s struck gold again. As an artist whose reputation was staked and secured 4 minutes into his debut record, Chief Keef’s artistic development has gone severely underrated. So, if you haven’t been paying attention, he now is the near sole producer of his music, and that happens to be the greatest strength of this record. The production in question is by far the strongest I’ve heard on any drill record - he commands a massive energetic atmosphere on most of the songs which is nothing new to the drill formula, but with greater sonic depth and cleanliness than ever. His generally organic instrumentals only further legitimize the production effort, and he displays a greater understanding of the instruments themselves than producers pushing a similar envelope in the trap scene (Metro). The fact is, Chief Keef built this sound from the ground up while learning and developing his skills as a musician along the way and maintaining the performative stylings that won the hearts of his fans in the beginning. Now, the result is a new high water mark for not only himself but the drill scene at large. Almighty So 2 is a 8.9. 7 "1,2,3" "Banded Up" "Never Fly Here" Wall Of Eyes - The Smile The Smile is what you might call a perfect spinoff, and their third release (the first of two this year) is the perfect proof. When an established artist (or in this case three) embarks on a side project there is a key balance to be struck. First, in order to justify the spinoff in the first place the product ought to vary from their usual work, however straying too far opens up the risk of losing the original audience. If you’re wondering exactly how someone might go about striking that balance, give Wall Of Eyes a listen. Thom Yorke and co. brought the best elements of Radiohead to their 2024 record. Despite lacking the sonic brawn a 5-man band like Radiohead possesses, The Smile did a great job of cultivating similarly fantastic atmospheres, and I think it’s fair to say the thinner cast of musicians opened up greater stylistic flexibility. In a true example of doing more with less, the added air allowed for them to lean further into spacey psychedelic sounds as well as some of Skinner’s jazz inclinations and Yorke's more abstract vocal stylings. It’s a record made by true professionals with complete awareness of the tools in front of them and the collaborative mojo to execute some of the more difficult and conceptually loose tracks of their collective discographies. Wall Of Eyes is a 9. 6 "Wall Of Eyes" "Read The Room" "Friend Of A Friend" Mahashmashana - Father John Misty I’d like to say this is Father John Misty’s best album. A bold claim perhaps, especially for such an established artist with the dedicated fanbase he has, but one that can be easily backed up. While Mahashmashana may not prove to be loaded with signature tracks to the level of his 2012 debut, for instance, this 8-track 50-minute LP is packed front to back with significant undertakings. With 2 songs in the 4-minute range and the rest spanning 5-9 minutes each, Father John bit off as much as he ever has and executed at a new level. There are zero skips across a decently wide variety of songs, from his spiritual balladry to rambling rock and all the alternative space that he occupies so effortlessly in between. To me, it sounds as though the high-potential 43-year-old has reached a new level of comfortability within his music, and frankly, it shouldn’t be so easy to write and execute lengthy yet captivating songs in unwavering succession. That’s why as of right now, I’m placing Father John Misty on ‘perfect 10 watch’ - just wait. Father John Misty’s most complete effort to date is a 9. 5 "Josh Tillman and the Accidental Dose" "Screamland" "I Guess Time Just Makes A Fool of Us All" Diamond Jubilee - Cindy Lee Cindy Lee is a fairly massive talent. The music industry vet has performed in different groups, under different names, and in different genres, and all that seems to have led to the sort of indiscriminate ‘screw-you-attitude’ that can only be properly expressed by someone who’s either highly skilled, highly pissed off, or both. I know this because the murky abrasive nature of this music is exactly the sonic palette one might choose if they wished to avoid the underqualified attention of mainstream audiences. That approach has kept Cindy Lee in that perfect grey area where fantastic music can exist untouched and unbothered, which is no small feat. Unfortunately for Cindy, they might have blown that window wide open with their latest release Diamond Jubilee . The 2-hour 32-track triple record is a peak indie album (available for download on Bandcamp). Lee floats through genre-various influences with ease, challenging the listener on nearly every song while thriving in the tantalizing minimal complexity that makes this gaudy listen bearable. Rock, alternative, indie, folk, and psychedelic are no strangers to one another, but combined with the dual vocal deliveries, highly skilled and uniquely restrained guitar technique, and unwavering intention behind each track, this sound can be contained under just one umbrella: Diamond Jubilee. Cindy Lee’s odyssey LP is 9.1. 4 "All I Want Is You" "Dracula" "Lockstepp" Tigers Blood - Waxahatchee This was perhaps the best album referral I’ve ever received. Thanks Joe. Tigers Blood is not only my favorite record of the year - it’s also home to some of the most well-written and emotionally performed songs of the year, the most productive feature of the year in MJ Lenderman, and what I consider the best collection of vocal performances as well. Waxahatchee is a one-woman music machine who, with the help of a backing band can move you to tears with one song and out of your seat with the next. I found myself hanging on her every word, even considering the cost of a move to Alabama, because each track on this album somehow feels like home. She effortlessly combines elements of rock, alternative, folk, country, even a tasteful tinge of 2010s pop, and it all comes together in a sound I feel as though I’ve always known. I went back and listened to all of Kathryn Critfield’s other work, both under this outfit and in her previous band P.S. Elliot, and I can safely say that while all of her music prominently displays her strengths in one way or another Tigers Blood is simply another gear. I cannot wait to see what comes next. My personal favorite release of 2024 is a 9.2. 3 "3 Sisters" "Right Back To It" "365" Cowboy Carter - Beyonce Well, it’s official Beyonce has broken music. For the second release in a row, she arrived on the album cover on horseback in full pop-star regalia and released the most bombastic project of the year. Why would a veteran pop star with nothing left to prove coming off an unnecessarily adventurous but brilliantly executed electronic pop/r&b album choose to backtrack and release her first ‘country’ album - because she felt her roots have been neglected, because there’s always more to prove, or simply because she can? While my best bet is all of the above, there’s only one person who can answer that question, after all, Beyonce answered every other question with her latest success. Cowboy Carter covers all the bases. It ranges stylistically through her bread and butter, back to Renaissance , and forward to a brand new fusion of pop, r&b, and country that she can call her own. While the album's most potent country tendencies are found in the content and tone rather than the musical stylings, Queen B’s ability to meld whichever genre tropes she pleases is on par with some of contemporary music’s most venerable names. The vocal onslaught was as strong and sustained as ever as she glided through a lengthy record packed with big-name features, gutsy covers, and statement after statement in the form of standout tracks and calculated lyrical presentations. She has mastered the art of the album (it’s like she’s seen my scoring system), from the rollout to the song placement and what I can only assume was a massive collaborative effort behind the scenes. Beyonce’s country takeover is a 9.3. 2 "AMERIICAN REQUIEM" "ALLIIGATOR TEARS" "YA YA" Brat - Charli XCX Well, this should be no surprise. Charli XCX first emerged from the London party scene and entered the pop charts more than a decade ago. Since then she’s carved out a niche of her own somewhere between pop and dance/electronic, become one of the driving forces in the ever-developing hyperpop scene, and secured a reputation as a sort of all-around-icon by the age of 32. Her playful partygirl aesthetic goes just as far towards wrangling new fans as it does towing her most veteran supporters along her musical journey, and with her stunning 2024 release it's safe to say she’s done fans of every kind a service. Brat is a pure hyperpop record, a career-best undertaking of innovation, and the kind of record that cements an artist's legacy, but most of all it is a movement. ‘Brat Summer’, Brat for Halloween, Brat as an adjective - when was the last time you heard the name of an album take on such a socially verbose nature? Never is my answer, and it's for good reason. It’s a perfectly digestible, near-perfect 15 songs over 41 minutes. Each one is danceable, means something to someone, and stays perfectly within the abstract but contagiously understandable world that is Brat . Each time I listen to this album, whether in the car, on my audiophile stereo setup, or in my noise-canceling world-blocking headphones I discover something new in the mix, something that makes a song better, something that further cements Brat as the album of the year. 2024’s best record is a 9.4. 1 "Von Dutch" "B2b" "365"

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.