Gretel Hanlyn Live: Schubas Tavern 11/11/23 11/16/23 By Ian Sherry Schubas Tavern is exactly that, a tavern. The front of the house is a bar/restaurant, and as you squeeze between the bar and booths towards the back of the restaurant, past the bathrooms, you can see a show room open up. Gretel Hänlyn and company played in that show room last Saturday, and anyone who came got a good show. Ever heard of Natsuma? If you have, I need to step my game up. The young British guitarist/vocalist led off the night, and despite playing solo, she impressed. To account for the thinner instrumental, she used a loop pedal, which, as Natsuma explained to her audience, allows an artist to play an instrument, loop a certain segment with a foot pedal, and build a layered instrumental. Despite this demanding solo performance, her vocal talent was fully on display at certain points, even elevating certain songs for the live instrumental. That takes real talent. She’s touring with Gretel Hänlyn, so catch her if you can, and listen to “Miss You” as a sample. Now, before I get to the main event, I’ll give my two cents on Adelaide. The Chicagoland native filled in for Grace Bloom last minute and did a great job. They did a great job, to the visible relief of their bill-members, despite playing solo instead of with the full band they’re accustomed to. Compared to the previous performer, Natsuma, Adelaide was much safer. Considering the circumstances, and their laid back shoegaze style, safety is to be expected, and the safety worked. The vocals brought a hint of emotion, the guitar was moody and consistent, and the stage was set for Gretel Hänlyn. Check out “Needles & Pins” As I was saying: I was right. Back in May, I wrote an article highlighting Gretel Hänlyn and two other talented artists. When I found out Hänlyn’s tour was going to stop just 40 CTA minutes from me, I couldn’t miss it. As I spoke about briefly in “Putting You On Three”, one of Gretel Hänlyn’s strengths is instrumental layering. She creates big sounds and expertly buries her vocals in the middle of the mix. She is clearly the audible focal point, yet the instrumental is never thin. This balance is difficult enough to strike in the studio, I’d imagine doing so live isn’t any simpler. Hänlyn manages just fine. Natsuma sat in on guitar, along with a bassist and drummer. The result was noticeably fuller sound than the previous two artists, to no fault of their own. H er sound was fantastic, and although it took a verse or two for her to slip into a studio-level vocal pocket, once she found it she didn’t look back. The first striking vocal performance came a few songs in with “Slugeye”, which she pointed out was her first ever song on streaming services. From there she executed tracks from every corner of her growing discography, touching different pitches, tones, emotions, and personas. She stepped outside of her discography as well, performing three unreleased songs. I am confident that two of the three will be elite editions to her discography. There were no misses last Saturday. She elevated even my least favorite song of hers “Head of The Love Club” by transitioning out of one of my favorites, “Little Vampire”. She looped an electric guitar chord and let the grinding note repeat itself as she casually strolled back, set down her guitar, sipped some water, then approached the mic again to deliver a great vocal performance. I always found the grungy guitar repetition to be overbearing on the studio version, but performed live, where the instruments are generally tuned evenly, it is easier to digest; it was an impressive adjustment. Hänlyn is definitely the most experienced performer of the bill. While Natsuma entertained with witty moments and an explanation of the loop pedal and Adelaide stood in with an angsty but comfortable energy, Hänlyn dominated the stage. She conversed briefly with a guitar nerd in the audience, casually dissed LA, and used the mic as a prop to add to her performances. She kept the audience entertained from the moment she stepped on stage until the post-show greeting line disbanded. I’ve never been more confident in an artist’s future than Gretel Hänlyn. She has a unique, yet well-established, sound. She’s a comfortable performer. She’s appeared at Pitchfork London, Pitchfork Paris, Green Man, Wilderness, and Coachella. Plus, she’s 20 years old. What more could you ask for? I’ve heard the approaching releases, I’ve seen the live show, I’ve reviewed her newest EP. I’m absolutely certain that you should keep an eye and ear on Gretel Hänlyn. Stream her music, buy her vinyl, and go to her shows. You won’t be sorry.

GNX : LA's Latest Victory Lap By Ian Sherry 12/10/2024 On 11/22/2024, Kendrick Lamar released his 6th studio album, GNX . Kendrick has been a very busy man. In the months leading up to the release of GNX Lamar returned to the public eye, challenged and disposed of Drake, held a historic concert showcasing unity in LA’s Hip-Hop scene, and was named the halftime performer for Super Bowl LXI. Riding that wave, he dropped this record. More than any other record this year, GNX is impossible to separate from its context. It is and always will be the record that came after the Drake feud. While Lamar tastefully refrained from including any of the diss tracks, he brought the most important spoils of his mudslinging war to this record: the sound that took “Not Like Us” to no. 1 and the local scene he stood up for. Neither was guaranteed, but in the end they accounted for his most spirited top-to-bottom performance since TPAB . The stylistic discoveries Lamar made following Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers have completely reinvigorated my enthusiasm for his music. His 2022 record hit the right critical spots and had a passable share of highlights, but the stylistic persona he put forth in his return from a 5 year absence felt safe, as if that time away left him tight and self-limiting. GNX is anything but. “wacced out murals” , while it's a bit lengthy for an intro track does a great job of introducing Kendrick Lamar’s latest vocal persona. Using audible restraint to create breathier cadences, Lamar is able to build tension and excitement with his words without expending a lot of energy. It’s a skill that Pusha T enlists so that his audience hangs on every word and his lyrics cut deep. Now Lamar can do the same, but with the added advantage that he has more in the musical tank. Here’s what I mean track 6, “reincarnated” , is the album’s most intense track. Lamar’s most conceptual exercise of the record attempts to place him in the shoes of his past lives in order to critique the choices they made and the extent to which they used their gifts. A demanding undertaking like that requires performative chops and an energy level he’d yet to exert through 5 songs, so when he screamed ‘REINCARNATED’, the track popped the way he clearly intended it to. Energy isn’t the only performative improvement Lamar made on this record, his package of flows and cadences has gotten as strong as ever. Evidenced by his recent feature work, take Beyonce’s “AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM” or Baby Keem’s “family ties” , Kendrick has been expanding his bag of flows and that process was only accelerated by the creative flurry that Drake brought upon himself. At this point it feels safe to say Lamar’s days of somewhat regularly defaulting to well-worded but averagely-performed verses are over (RIP 2017-2022). Look at “hey now” , Lamar hops on one of the two Mustard beats on the record and dominates with career-best confidence and charisma fueling a generous display of the many entertaining flows he’s accumulated. While "tv off" and "peekaboo" are the next best displays of pure spitting, nearly every track on this LP brings something vocally fresh to the table, and the impact that consistently entertaining performances have on an assorted album like this is invaluable. In addition to the variety of vocal projection Kendrick Lamar brought to GNX , his production has been retooled as well. In his departure from Top Dawg Entertainment production personnel was bound to change to an extent, but what I didn’t expect was to see Jack Antanoff’s name on every track. The current king of pop production is a fellow Grammy darling, and his influence on GNX is clearest in the cleanliness and atmospheric aspects of the record. My initial reaction was my usual anti-mainstream gag reflex, but upon listening I can see how Antanoff’s capabilities could contribute to the gloomy feel that makes “reincarnated” and “heart pt. 6” effective and the pop factor needed to elevate "Luther" to one of the album's most popular songs. Given, Antanoff also contributed to some of the pop-sensible misses like “men at the garden” (which sounds like DAMN and Mr. Morale had a really ugly baby), the boring “dodger blue” , and the chivalrous but misplaced last track “gloria” , his versatility will still go down as a positive influence on this record because ultimately it allowed for Lamar’s successful plunge back into the west coast. As his career progresses, Lamar feels increasingly calculated in who he chooses to associate with, but not since 2016 have I heard Lamar thrive in the West Coast bounce like he does on GNX . He made a point of it. He filled his feature list with newer names from the greater LA/Compton scene (Dody6 , Lefty Gunplay , Wallie the Sensei , Siete7x , AzChike , Hitta J3 , YoungThreat , Peysoh , even Roddy Rich ), and the pop-star cleanliness Lamar lent to his raw but hungry guest artists left them in their best form. Combine that with the long-time collaborator Sounwave’s presence on every track and you’ve got a musically holistic homecoming for Lamar (with SZA in tow). While there are moments throughout the record that carry that West Coast aroma - take the Eminem /D12 -like chorus on “hey now” or constant remnants of Black Hippy in his music - I really knew LA was present the moment “squabble up” began. The unique blend of 2000s club-tinged g-funk is ridiculously catchy. Imagine a YG song with the sonic layering and atmospheric control Lamar fans are accustomed to, plus the synth performance of a true techno madman. It's the kind of song I wasn’t sure Lamar could make after his last project - the kind of song that makes you wonder what else he could possibly do. I saw criticisms of Lamar as a person in regards to this record - complaints that his narrative has become too self-indulgent since his feud with Drake making this braggadocious record difficult to swallow. Personally I disagree. While it can be enticing to think of an artist as someone you know based on the extensive material they’ve presented, the truth is you really don’t. The introspective Kendrick Lamar persona we know has been as much of a product as his music. It makes sense that the public persona of the artist would change in tandem with their newest product. Therefore, it also makes sense that following the most substantially publicized victory of his career he would release a sort of victory lap record. It is not a reflection of his character or ego as much as it is the logical next step in an increasingly lengthy career that has rightfully resulted in his superstardom. This record is not his best, nor is it his worst. A smaller undertaking than Kendrick’s all-time great concept albums of the 2010s, GNX had a lower ceiling to begin with, however, he still packed the record with a variety of new creative angles. Aside from creating the ever-elusive flawless tracklist, cultivating a variously entertaining and passably cohesive group of songs is the ultimate goal of any record that focuses on the collection of songs rather than a core concept. By that measure GNX is a success. It’s also a success as it exists in the world. The album’s reception can be just as important as its content, and the exposure he brought not only to his features but to that g-funk sound might be what I love most about the record. GNX is a 8.6.

ENOUGH CHEER: ONE BRAVE MAN'S FIGHT AGAINST SEASONAL SONIC SUFFERING 12/25/23 BY: IAN SHERRY I am Scrooge (in the Groot voice). I don’t like Marvel movies, nor do I like Christmas music. One of the most hotly contested seasonal debates, I always take the side of grumpy opposition, and I have reasons. While I plan to lay them out in an organized fashion momentarily, I have one question for fans of this genre: Do you truly believe, in your merry little hearts, that ‘jingle bells’ are both a tolerable instrument and viable lyric? If so, you're wrong, but allow me to further provide reasons to shut off the radio. I’d like to begin with the disclaimer that there are some acceptable occasions. For instance, you can listen to Christmas music to put you in the so-called spirit within 72 hours of the big day , the same way you listen to a sweatily angsty R&B song to get you in a romantic mood or an mind-numbingly bland Mac DeMarco song to go to sleep. However, it is absolutely required that, somewhere in the back of your mind, you are open to the fact that a creatively negative adjective must accompany your cheer-filled opinion of a given song. Unfortunately, many ignore that requirement. Backtracking: Genres have a traceable and consistent formation process. I’d describe them as ⅓ influence, ⅓ innovation, and ⅓ capitalism. It starts with an artist or group of artists that are influenced by the sound around them. This could be what they’re raised on, what they come to love, or what they’ve grown to despise. As a result, they’re inspired to put their own spin on it, innovation. Once these two key ingredients come together and a new sound is born, capitalism takes care of the rest, packaging and selling their art to the public in droves until a new genre is born . It’s a symbiotic process that combines the beauty of creativity with the necessity of money. Christmas music is certainly a genre, however, it’s unique in its formation. Holidays are rooted in tradition. Tradition is a powerful binding factor. It brings together generations, races, nations; whatever the division, if there’s a shared tradition, there’s a bridge. Because it is such an obviously powerful social phenomenon, money-makers worldwide continually seek to take advantage through the most evident and reliable manifestation of our traditions: holidays. America (where I live, if that wasn’t evident) was founded, populated by, and constructed in favor of Christians. Christ-ians are very interested in Christ. So, in this rich Christian-empowered nation, Jesus Christ’s birthday has become more than a religious day or season. It’s the most wonderful time of the year. That goes particularly for those on the production end of our beloved nationwide money-making arrangement. Naturally this means money flowing into the pockets of the producers. That stretches beyond the small businesses, malls, even Amazon. Yes, it stretches to music. Hence Christmas music. Hence this article. Christmas music, as a genre, is ¾ capitalism and ¼ everything that’s important to music. Is it morbidly naive to assume all artists who have produced Christmas music are focused solely on selling records? Yes. But, even those whose focus lies elsewhere, like the religious aspect of the holiday or joy of the season, still feed 100% into the powers that be. When Donny Hathaway slipped “Th is Christmas” into his 1971 self-titled masterpiece that includes “A Song For You,” among other classic tracks, he probably didn't analyze its profit potential. However, 50 years later, it nearly doubled the streams of any other song on the album, by far holding the number on his Spotify page. Is it a good song? Sure, by Christmas standards. It flourishes big horns at the beginning, before settling into a loungey early 70s groove fronted by one of the purest vocalists of his era, and it’s supported by poppy drums and a piano solo. However, sitting at the end of one of the most emotionally raw, underrated, and era-defining albums of all time, the source of its popularity (October-December) is all too evident. I won’t pretend it's a realistic expectation that an artist’s best music would be Christmas songs, and it’s no mystery why those songs are so popular, but what bothers me most about Christmas music is that, the majority at least, is bad. Unlike my previous set of mostly surface level market-based connections, this phenomenon is more complicated. It all starts with identity. Good music, in every single case, is infused with the artist’s identity. The lack of identity deprives the art of something that, although it may be hard to describe, gives the audience something to attach to. A good, and incidentally similar, example is Christian rock or rap. The artist is so focused on passing the religious identity and putting their faith/faith figure in the forefront, it seems they forget to be themselves. The fact is, your art has to come from you, otherwise it isn’t yours, otherwise it’s not art. Jesus didn’t make “God’s Not Dead (Like A Lion)” by the Newsboys (the first Christian Rock song that popped up on Google). He might’ve made What’s Going On , but he didn’t make that . Pardon my digression. Because identity is so essential to art, artists who have it go further, even if that identity is the embodiment of the mainstream (Taylor Swift). However, the American Christmas has a very strong identity as well. It has its own themes, schemes, even classics. For an artist to enter this space, they often feel the weight of this identity, and the pressure to adopt it. A Christmas album by any artist, we can use Taylor Swift, is sure to have multiple if not all covers. The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection (2008) is four Christmas classics with two Swift originals mixed in. Her originals play as average 2000s Taylor Swift songs, basic structure with an emphasis on the vocals and lyrics that cover the different angles of a past relationship, but wait, It’s also Christmas! This is common in original Christmas songs, the artist attempts to bring Christmas into their world, their sound, but it often takes over and the focus of the song settles in no-(wo)man's-land. What interests me more is the covers. There have been a select group of original songs over the years that struck gold. Someone wrote “Jingle Bells”. That select group has been covered relentlessly and will continue to be every December forever. Very recently (January 2, 2023 ), some awfully wise i ndividual wrote that ‘When done well, cover artists pay homage to the original song while offering their own spin or twist.’ I believe the problem with Christmas covers is this: there are absolutely no faces or names to the original songs anymore and absolutely no pressure to do something significantly individualistic with your own version. Cher’s Christmas is doing quite well this year. She brought in Stevie Wonder, Darlene Love, Michael Bublé, Cyndi Lauper, and of course, Tyga. In a recent interview, she claimed that “It's not your mother’s Christmas album”. I listened (yes, I listened), and I can confirm that it is indeed your mother’s Christmas album. Not my mother, she has great taste. It’s a lot like any other Christmas album, lot’s of jingles, choruses, and opportunities for my cynical eyes to roll. The most unique thing about Cher’s album: the volume. She’s pretty loud. Despite mistakenly naming the album ‘Christmas,’ instead of ‘Cher’s Seasonal Exercise In Mediocrity,’ her fun little features and reliance on the classics will serve her mightily and buy her truckloads more of those sparkly jeans (edgy) she’s wearing on the cover. That’s the formula, plenty of covers, a few originals folks can skip, and an angle for sales. Cher knows it, her label does, the radio does, and if you’re honest, you do too. As I’ve alluded to (or maybe I hav en’t, I never read these things back), not all Christmas music is bad, the concept just sets its participants up for failure. Few can overcome it, but as I ease towards a conclusion allow me to be momentarily positive. I would be remisced (hunted down) if I didn’t bring up Mariah Carey. When you look up Carey on google, aka The Queen Of Christmas, snowflakes fall down your screen. No joke. She completely dominates the season, and I can’t lie, I do enjoy this part. Here’s why she’s been so successful. Mariah Carey came up in a unique pop landscape. As hip-hop and pop collided, lots of effort went into blurring the lines. This era birthed trend after trend. Saggy jeans were sported by rappers emphasizing their streetness and r&b divas (Carey included) straddling the lines of sexy and cool. With the trends came pressures to be adaptable. Carey’s adaptability led to hit after hit. R&b, pop, hip-hop features, you name it, she nailed it. However, Mariah Carey didn’t define the era, it defined her. She embodied it, she took its identity on as her own. So, come December every year, she does the same with Christmas, and she does it better than anyone else. Mariah Carey was the 2000s and Mariah Carey is Christmas. Unfortunately for this seasonal genre, nobody can quite do what Mariah Carey does. There are other success stories in which an artist successfully strikes a balance. The Temptations were able to apply enough of their own identity on “Silent Night” and Stevie Wonder’s “Someday At Christmas” is popular because of how it repackages his social justice lens to fit the holidays. But, at the end of the day, they can’t touch “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone” or “Love’s In Need Of Love Today” . The balance isn’t sustainable. Here’s what I suggest in place of Christmas music: music at Christmas. Someone close to me insists that their favorite song is a Christmas song despite its complete lack of thematic relevance. I whole-heartedly agree. FKJ’s “Die With A Smile” is a perfect exercise in sonic minimalism. It mesmerizes the listener with a lonely guitar, the occasional snare, synths, and an amplified bass drum. The vocalist repeats one line a few times, and creates a warm environment that no audience could resist. It’s my favorite Genius page ever and I use it to tune my speakers, but what I love most about it is the tone and minimalism which allow it to mean whatever you want it to. To this person it means warmth, joy, and memories. It means Christmas. Merry Christmas! -The Culture Gy re CHALLENGE 1: Listen to this posthumous disasterpiece: "Silent Night" by DMX CHALLENGE 2: Listen to the worst song I've ever heard on WDET: "Shopping" by Joseph Washington Jr.

The Return of The Stones 11/17/23 BY: IAN SHERRY On October 20, 2023, The Rolling Stones released their latest album, Hackney Diamonds . The legendary band continues to make history… And now for a real-life interaction from my history class lecture hall: Random Kid #1: “Dude, the Rolling Stones just put out a new album” Random Kid #2: “Who?!” Random Kid #1: “I know, right! It’s not like a greatest hits or anything, just a new album. They didn’t even say it’s their last one, they literally just announced a random album.” Random Kid #2: “No, I mean like actually who is that?” Kids these days. The Rolling Stones, in fact, are (one of) the greatest rock band(s) of all time, and despite their median age being something like 78, they just released their 31st studio album. This raised an abundance of questions amongst listeners, the most important one being: will it be any good? Well let’s talk about it. Hailing from London, The Rolling Stones were key blazers in the British Invasion and consequently, the formation of rock as we know it. Dabbling in everything from American Blues to British Pop, they set the standard for what a talented band could and should attempt to accomplish across genres and decades. Now, with legendary frontman Mick Jagger sitting at 80 years old, we have to wonder what version of the Stones we’ll see. Personally, I was hoping for some blues. The Expectations The Rolling Stones are a well oiled machine that has produced decades of success. They’ve long since mastered the finer points of instrumental production, songwriting, and album construction. They have their own sound - several in fact - to rely upon when developing new material. And they bring their vast discography, deep experience, and a hall of fame reputation. But it’s time to address the elder elephant in the room: a lead singer who’s 80 years old and a collective group who cannot possibly be completely in touch with today’s musical landscape. This is a clear barrier, but not an insurmountable one. Johnny Cash recorded his legendary cover “Hurt” at the age of 71 in poor health. Although his singing on “Hurt” isn’t bold and exuberant, his sense of emotion is so powerful that it registers as one of his greatest vocal performances ever. All that is to say, physical vocal capabilities are not the end all be all - not by a long shot. Johnny Cash collaborated with Rick R ubin on that album. The legendary producer helped him structure songs around his ability, bolstering the instrumentals at the perfect times and saving the best of Cash’s voice for the right moments. They worked with what they had, and they made beautiful music. Should this set the standard? Perhaps that bar is too high, considering Cash and Rubin are two of the greatest musical minds of all time. However, The Rolling Stones ought to be measured in such elite company. As a reviewer, I feel faced with the ultimate dilemma: delivering an objective critique of an album/a rtist in a context full of subjective contradictions. For instance, The Stone s are one of the greatest bands ever, yet as octogenarians, do I hold them to their career-long standard? (I don’t normally check album review ratings from other sources, but I checked Pit chfork out of curiosity and that’s what they decided to do). Or do I hold them to the standard I would use for an elderly member of the local volunteer church choir? This is tempting, but the reality is Mick Jagger isn’t just singing on Sundays, he’s in The Rolling Stones. Or, do I hold them to the standard of late-career Johnny Cash? They’re different artists, and they aren’t working with Rick Rubin, but they could have. And maybe that should have. So, just as I might rate a debut on the scale of all debuts, I’m going to rate Hackney Diamonds on the scale of Johnny Cash’s final album. The Genre As I mentioned, I was hoping for blues. While The Beatles first met resistance for impersonating the American artform that is rhythm & blues, The Rolling Stones were more easily welcomed. Why? Well, I think they were just better at it. So, several decades later, I wanted a return to that blues-driven sweet spot that Rolling Stones made their own. Shouldn’t their consistently pure, unique instrumentals and personality-filled vocals still be replicable in 2023? Nobody since the heyday version of the Rolling Stones has been able to capture that unique blues sound like they did, and unfortunately as I listened to Hackney Diamonds , that standard has yet to be met. The best blues moments are fleeting and scattered at best. Track 6, “Dreamy Skies” , track 10, “Tell Me Straight” , and track 12, “Rolling Stone Blues” give us a taste, and they’re some of my favorites on the album. But, that’s only 3/12 tracks. Instead, the Stones seem to have made a conscious choice for safe pop-rock. Aside from their brief blues departure later in the album and 2000s impression-rock track “Whole Wide World” (a bad song), they leaned into the 80s. Though this isn’t my favorite era of rock by any means, they were able to deliver a recognizable sound, albeit safe and far from unique. Flighty group vocal choruses, repetitive but consistent song structure, and the occasional guitar solo. After a few songs I knew exactly what to expect. “Angry” is the first song of the album, and it does a good job of setting the pop-rock tone. It may be the best example of their general aim for the album, though it’s hard to tell at times. Meanwhile “Bite My Head Off” (track 4), which supposedly features Sir Paul McCartney , is a perfect example of their formula falling flat. The Bridge Structure is not a bad thing. Though it often receives a negative connotation, it is a helpful tool for delivering a solid end product. I’ve had moments of frustration reviewing albums this year, as artists move further away from traditional pop structure - Verse, verse, bridge, verse - only to lose their way with underwhelming results. The Stones have it down. When I review albums, I take notes chronologically, adjusting my opinion on a song as it unfolds, usually finishing with ¾ lines of notes per track. In those notes I’m always sure to make a note of a good chorus, verse, or bridge. After marking down ‘BRIDGE’ for six of the first seven songs, I realized I should just mark it at the bottom of the page as its own category. Whether it be vocal, piano, guitar, or some combination of the three, the bridge is often the strongest stretch of a Hackney Diamonds song. This is entirely undervalued in music today, so I’m glad to see The Rolling Stones reviving it. No matter how good of a hook you have, no matter how good your verses are, no matter how engaging a song is, the audience may not want to hear it repeat itself 3-4 times with no interruption. Therefore, in order to venture over 2 verses or three minutes, a bridge is a necessity. “Mess It Up” for example, is redeemed, to an extent, by its bridge. Frankly, so is the album itself. The Vocals Can Mick J agger sing like he used to? I don’t know, he doesn’t really bother. For much of the album, the verses are straightforward, and the choruses are basic. While that does fit into their sound of choice much of the time, it was an unnecessary sacrifice of personality. There is a reason Jagger is one of the most famous frontmen/women of all time. He has a swagger as a vocalist and live performer, and his abilities are rarely topped. He’s comfortable, creative, and assertive on the microphone. The Rolling Stones are a historically cohesive, well-rehearsed unit of instrumentalists, but so were the Grateful Dead . What vaulted The Rolling Stones into superstardom was the man in the middle. I don’t expect him to wail on a track like he used to, but that swagger that gives them such an elite feel as a band was lacking this year. There is no real excuse for this. Johnny Cash, despite his comparatively limited vocal capabilities, actually elevated his performative repertoire on his final album. Jagger should’ve been able to at least replicate his own. Instead we have a vocally clean, yet flat album. That vocal cleanliness, in a vacuum, is no sin. However, there’s something fishy about it on Hackney Diamonds . It feels polished, literally, as though every single second of every song was doctored post-recording. And this wouldn’t surprise me. Autotune, aside from its obvious vocally altering capabilities, is also used to smooth out sl ight imperfections in performances. On My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman , Billie Eilish explains the practice of vocal comping. This is the recording of multiple takes, and splicing them together to create one perfect vocal performance. Whether the Stones were using one of these methods or something else, I’m not sure. All I know is there are noticeably unnatural portions of vocals on this album. In comparison, once again, to Johnny Cash, who leaned into his imperfections and weaknesses out of vulnerability, Jagger seems to have tried to hide his, at the cost of his own persona on the microphone. I’d give examples, but you can find them on almost every song. Let’s shift to the positives instead. The Strengths One step The Rolling Stones took to modernize their sound, which I actually appreciated, was the inclusion of features. While McCartney’s presence on track 4 is inconsequential, the other two features resulted in the strongest songs on the album. The first is “Live By The Sword” , featuring Elton John . This raucous track came out firing. Elton John is very present on piano, the pace is great, and Jagger's vocals feel more prominent. For the first time on the whole album I felt my foot tap. It’s a fun, well-executed song in their own style, in contrast to a song like “Get Close” , which has a similar aim but sounds more like The J. Geils Band than the Stones. Meanwhile, the best song on the album is more than just a fun time. Track 11, “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” , featuring Lady Gaga , is a total success. A classic Jagger lead-in sets a tone that strikes a perfect balance between fresh and vintage, especially as the Gaga accompanying vocals come in. She quietly harmonizes in the background, providing a lighter, more feminine edge to Mick Jagger’s most bold performance on the album. They combine to build the energy to a high point, then bring it down for Lady Gaga to handle the bridge alongside the piano, before building it up one final time to the finish. While the final build is a bit messy, it brings a genuine energy to the track and album that was desperately needed. Once again Lady Gaga proves herself to be an elite collaborator, and The Rolling Stones deliver an authentic performance that reminds us who they can still be. If there’s one thing I did have absolute confidence in, it’s this: The Rolling Stones’ ability to make an album. The first and last tracks were great choices, the album flowed fairly well and with a generally uniform sound, and it wasn’t too long. Despite the fact I didn’t enjoy every track, they all felt worthy of inclusion, in the context of the whole. That really goes a long way in my opinion. If your album flows all the way through and stands on its own as one cohesive musical composition, you can better hold the attention of an audience, even one that isn’t fully captivated. So that’s where I leave this review: on a positive. The Rolling Stones are one of the greatest bands of all time. The way the English language works, ‘are’ is the correct word. Because they still exist, they ‘are’ one of the greatest bands of all time, however everyone knows that they are now a different version of the band they once were: something closer to The Stationary Stones. All things considered though, Hackney Diam onds isn’t a failure. The vocals, while audibly tolerable, don’t really find an identity, at least not until the end, and the instrumentation is fairly safe. But, they took a chance on the features and landed two thirds of the record. And Stones successfully constructed a cohesive album, giving us songs with actual replay value in the year 2023 - 58 years after they first topped the American charts. So, summing it up as briefly as I can: it’s a mixed bag. Johnny Cash’s American IV: The Man Comes Ar ound is a 10/10. By the standard Johnny Cash s et in 2002, Hackney Diamonds is a 5.7/10.

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

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

Durand Jones Goes Solo: Wait Til I Get Over BY: Ian Sherry 5/29/23 On May 5, 2023 Durand Jones released Wait Til I Get Over . Over the past five years Durand Jones & The Indications have been making great music. Their 2018 debut self titled album is great, their 2019 American Love Call is easily my favorite contemporary soul album, and their 2021 Private Space is a stylistic swerve done the right way. Now, we get Durand Jones’ first solo album. This doesn’t signal the end of the band. No, Jones made it clear on several occasions leading into his 2023 release that it was a deeply personal project, one that he needed to do himself. Durand Jones’ lack of Indications both intrigued and concerned me. The Indications thrive because of three general strengths (outside of Durand Jones): songwriting, consistently strong musical performances, and Aaron Frazer. Without the rest of his band, could Jones replicate these strengths? After all, the best bands’ songwriting is often a group effort, The Beatles or Queen for example, and Jones is just one man. That throwback sound the band revitalizes in such a refreshing way is difficult to capture, and attempting to recreate that same magic without them would be difficult. Aaron Frazer is The Indications' secret weapon, whose occasional lead vocals provide a great deal of variety, and whose help on choruses or ensemble vocal performances with Jones solidifies the uniqueness of the band's sound. Frazer is absent from this project. However, that was the point, and any of the resulting missteps on Wait Til I Get Over were a part of the calculated risk Durand Jones took going solo this year. So now, the results of his risk: Frankly, I have lots of critiques to roll out, but I'd like to start on a positive note. I love Aaron Frazer, and I was hoping for at least a feature from him; but he’s not needed. Durand Jones is a dynamic vocalist, able to carry nearly any tune and elevate even the most instrumentally bland music. Without that, this album would really struggle, lucky for Jones he can sing. Actually, he’s not lucky, just good. It's easy to say so, considering the songwriting on this album may be his strongest yet. Detailing the struggles of his people in the South and his own internal journey, Jones does a great job of using themes like community to fuel feelings like hope for a well-rounded yet fittingly unfinished narrative. While the narrative is cohesive, the stylistic choices are not. On the first three songs, Jones touches on three very different sounds. This can be done really well, but in this case it feels disjointed. “Gerri Marie” is a solid intro that sets a scene and vibe with Durand Jones and a piano. That’s it, but its simplicity is its strength. However, post the first interlude (track 2), this vibe is deleted by “Lord Have Mercy”. A jaunty sort of Bayou Rock song, it’s the first of a new Durand Jones sound, one that needs a lot of work. It effectively introduces the most unfortunate recurring theme of this album: poor instrumental production and vocal mixing. The instrumental layering is cluttered and a weird buzzy finish lays over everything, including Jones’ vocals. Yet, on the very next track, “Sadie”, Jones temporarily abandons his theme of musical mediocrity. It is a strong song in every way. Great hooks, choruses, and instrumental backing and breaks, it has all the makings of an Indications classic. So why not make that a theme? I think a look at track 5 can answer that question. "I Want You” is another Indications-worthy track musically, as well as a Jones masterclass vocally. He mixes in powerful background vocals at just the right moments and spoken pieces mid-verse, two things seldom seen, if ever, with his band. He is in his creative zone, stretching his attention to every aspect of the sound he wants to encapsulate. But, stretch is the key word. For the length of the song, every couple beats, there is a strange crashing sound. It's some sort of percussion, and it should have been any other kind of percussion, as keeping pace seems to be its sole purpose. But he chose this sound. A decision that doesn’t ruin the song completely, but one that, along with an occasionally jumbled bottom to the mix and an instrumental layering failure down the stretch of the song, can remove a distracted listener from the otherwise powerful tune. Durand Jones is a member of a great band, and great bands don’t let things like that slip through the cracks, but once again, he is just one man. These seemingly careless miscues continue through the album, and honestly, highlighting all of them is trivial. From the drowning of a strong communal vocal performance on “Wait Til I Get Over” to the alarmingly unfit feature on “Someday We’ll All Be Free” or the failure to catch a groove on “Letter To My 17 Year Old Self”, Jones misses opportunities to properly support his beautiful writing and vocal performances. However, he does not miss on “That Feeling”. Durand Jones is a bisexual black man from the South. That means both everything and nothing to this song. To my knowledge, it’s the first time he sings about another man, and he does so against that backdrop he spent so much time constructing. However, as he eases into this particular narrative, everything fades away. It doesn’t matter who he is speaking to, it’s beautiful. A story of wasted potential, told through a nostalgic lens, with that familiar hope and determination, “That Feeling” is love. It’s also the best song on the album. With raw vocals and a classic instrumental intro, Jones eases into the rhythm just as he does the narrative. Layering keys and guitar, he elevates the sound to the highest point of the album in stride with his words, before stripping it down to deliver a message: he and the love inside him aren't going anywhere. With the message delivered and the love story completed, Jones takes the last minutes to elevate one more time, leaving the audience with a powerful combination image and sound. Jones thrives in simplicity on this album, “Secrets” is a good final example. A piano and some voices are all he needed to close his 2023 release. Waves crash against a shore for the last two minutes, washing away the song and this, simply put, unique album. I hope it's unique for several reasons. First, Durand Jones is better than this. But, on top of that, he needed to get something out of his system. For his sake, I like to think he’s satisfied that need, at least enough to clean up any remaining loose ends with The Indications (in more ways than one). This album is messy. The production and mixing are scarily bad at times, as if he needed a reminder that the old days are supposed to be represented by the narrative, not the sound equipment. Jones also struggles to hitch a stylistic ride all the way through. This is fine for an EP, but for an album with a decisive theme, flow is essential. Yet, while it's easy to nitpick my way through this album, it's also easy to get lost in what Jones does well. He is an exceptional songwriter, a skill rivaled only by his vocal abilities. Those two strengths specifically can carry an album, and this is certainly one of those cases. I love Durand Jones, I am excited to see what he does next, and I believe the worst he can do is average. This album, all things considered, is just average. Wait Til I Get Over is a 5.25/10.

GNX : LA's Latest Victory Lap By Ian Sherry 12/10/2024 On 11/22/2024, Kendrick Lamar released his 6th studio album, GNX . Kendrick has been a very busy man. In the months leading up to the release of GNX Lamar returned to the public eye, challenged and disposed of Drake, held a historic concert showcasing unity in LA’s Hip-Hop scene, and was named the halftime performer for Super Bowl LXI. Riding that wave, he dropped this record. More than any other record this year, GNX is impossible to separate from its context. It is and always will be the record that came after the Drake feud. While Lamar tastefully refrained from including any of the diss tracks, he brought the most important spoils of his mudslinging war to this record: the sound that took “Not Like Us” to no. 1 and the local scene he stood up for. Neither was guaranteed, but in the end they accounted for his most spirited top-to-bottom performance since TPAB . The stylistic discoveries Lamar made following Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers have completely reinvigorated my enthusiasm for his music. His 2022 record hit the right critical spots and had a passable share of highlights, but the stylistic persona he put forth in his return from a 5 year absence felt safe, as if that time away left him tight and self-limiting. GNX is anything but. “wacced out murals” , while it's a bit lengthy for an intro track does a great job of introducing Kendrick Lamar’s latest vocal persona. Using audible restraint to create breathier cadences, Lamar is able to build tension and excitement with his words without expending a lot of energy. It’s a skill that Pusha T enlists so that his audience hangs on every word and his lyrics cut deep. Now Lamar can do the same, but with the added advantage that he has more in the musical tank. Here’s what I mean track 6, “reincarnated” , is the album’s most intense track. Lamar’s most conceptual exercise of the record attempts to place him in the shoes of his past lives in order to critique the choices they made and the extent to which they used their gifts. A demanding undertaking like that requires performative chops and an energy level he’d yet to exert through 5 songs, so when he screamed ‘REINCARNATED’, the track popped the way he clearly intended it to. Energy isn’t the only performative improvement Lamar made on this record, his package of flows and cadences has gotten as strong as ever. Evidenced by his recent feature work, take Beyonce’s “AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM” or Baby Keem’s “family ties” , Kendrick has been expanding his bag of flows and that process was only accelerated by the creative flurry that Drake brought upon himself. At this point it feels safe to say Lamar’s days of somewhat regularly defaulting to well-worded but averagely-performed verses are over (RIP 2017-2022). Look at “hey now” , Lamar hops on one of the two Mustard beats on the record and dominates with career-best confidence and charisma fueling a generous display of the many entertaining flows he’s accumulated. While "tv off" and "peekaboo" are the next best displays of pure spitting, nearly every track on this LP brings something vocally fresh to the table, and the impact that consistently entertaining performances have on an assorted album like this is invaluable. In addition to the variety of vocal projection Kendrick Lamar brought to GNX , his production has been retooled as well. In his departure from Top Dawg Entertainment production personnel was bound to change to an extent, but what I didn’t expect was to see Jack Antanoff’s name on every track. The current king of pop production is a fellow Grammy darling, and his influence on GNX is clearest in the cleanliness and atmospheric aspects of the record. My initial reaction was my usual anti-mainstream gag reflex, but upon listening I can see how Antanoff’s capabilities could contribute to the gloomy feel that makes “reincarnated” and “heart pt. 6” effective and the pop factor needed to elevate "Luther" to one of the album's most popular songs. Given, Antanoff also contributed to some of the pop-sensible misses like “men at the garden” (which sounds like DAMN and Mr. Morale had a really ugly baby), the boring “dodger blue” , and the chivalrous but misplaced last track “gloria” , his versatility will still go down as a positive influence on this record because ultimately it allowed for Lamar’s successful plunge back into the west coast. As his career progresses, Lamar feels increasingly calculated in who he chooses to associate with, but not since 2016 have I heard Lamar thrive in the West Coast bounce like he does on GNX . He made a point of it. He filled his feature list with newer names from the greater LA/Compton scene (Dody6 , Lefty Gunplay , Wallie the Sensei , Siete7x , AzChike , Hitta J3 , YoungThreat , Peysoh , even Roddy Rich ), and the pop-star cleanliness Lamar lent to his raw but hungry guest artists left them in their best form. Combine that with the long-time collaborator Sounwave’s presence on every track and you’ve got a musically holistic homecoming for Lamar (with SZA in tow). While there are moments throughout the record that carry that West Coast aroma - take the Eminem /D12 -like chorus on “hey now” or constant remnants of Black Hippy in his music - I really knew LA was present the moment “squabble up” began. The unique blend of 2000s club-tinged g-funk is ridiculously catchy. Imagine a YG song with the sonic layering and atmospheric control Lamar fans are accustomed to, plus the synth performance of a true techno madman. It's the kind of song I wasn’t sure Lamar could make after his last project - the kind of song that makes you wonder what else he could possibly do. I saw criticisms of Lamar as a person in regards to this record - complaints that his narrative has become too self-indulgent since his feud with Drake making this braggadocious record difficult to swallow. Personally I disagree. While it can be enticing to think of an artist as someone you know based on the extensive material they’ve presented, the truth is you really don’t. The introspective Kendrick Lamar persona we know has been as much of a product as his music. It makes sense that the public persona of the artist would change in tandem with their newest product. Therefore, it also makes sense that following the most substantially publicized victory of his career he would release a sort of victory lap record. It is not a reflection of his character or ego as much as it is the logical next step in an increasingly lengthy career that has rightfully resulted in his superstardom. This record is not his best, nor is it his worst. A smaller undertaking than Kendrick’s all-time great concept albums of the 2010s, GNX had a lower ceiling to begin with, however, he still packed the record with a variety of new creative angles. Aside from creating the ever-elusive flawless tracklist, cultivating a variously entertaining and passably cohesive group of songs is the ultimate goal of any record that focuses on the collection of songs rather than a core concept. By that measure GNX is a success. It’s also a success as it exists in the world. The album’s reception can be just as important as its content, and the exposure he brought not only to his features but to that g-funk sound might be what I love most about the record. GNX is a 8.6.

Return of the Clipse By Ian Sherry 7/23/2025 On July 11, Clipse returned with Let God Sort Em Out . One of hip hop’s greatest duos is back in all-time brotherly form. Before I share the upshot, let’s talk about the Fall-off. The gist is this: at some point every rapper hits a wall, loses the juice. After years in a game that demands killer instinct and inter-industrial connections, there comes a time when artist can no longer create in the rat-race-space that is hip hop. Did you listen to Music To Be Murdered By (20) ? That was a falloff. Did you listen to Donda (21) ? That was a falloff. Did you listen to Tha Carter VI (25) ? That was a falloff. Pusha T is 48 years old. That’s older than Eminem, Kanye, and Wheezy at the time of their respective Fall-offs, which only makes more impressive the fact that rap’s champion of old-school weight-moving is only getting stronger. Upon entering what would be a tricky period in the average rap career, Pusha T has released 3 consecutive catalog-topping records, and this time it’s a family affair. Sometime in the early 90s, brothers Gene and Terrance Thornton were kicked out of their family home, onto the streets of Virginia Beach when their father found a brick in his kitchen. Now living on the same streets they served, the brothers had no choice but to make some shit shake. Luckily, they had some talent tucked behind all the 1s in their pockets. With moving being their specialty, they soon discovered their ability to move people with their raps. As Terrar and Malicious tore across the VA underground, it wasn’t long before Pharrell made that same discovery. And the Clipse was born. The duo made an immediate impact on the 2000s rap landscape, locking down their place in Southern rap history and influencing the following wave of hip-hop-heads (Tyler The Creator especially) across their first two records. But as The Neptunes p assed on production responsibilities to Mr. Combs and the brothers’ life paths became, divergent their work together came to an end in 2010, with Pusha T entering the Kanye-sphere and Malice stepping away to find God and write his memoir. For a long time Clipse felt like a part of hip-hop history, a part of that time I just barely missed, a dynamic connection I never quite got to experience. Eclipses are a powerful rarity of nature: an otherworldly cycle beyond our control brings into alignment two massive looming figures in our sky, turning out our lights and placing the world on pause. Its been 15 years since the last Clipse, and the moment VA’s finest realigned, my world went on pause . 'Chivalry ain’t dead, you ain’t let her go alone, Found you in the kitchen, scriptures in the den Half-written texts that you never got to send Combin through your dresser drawer, where do I begin? Posted Noted Bible quotes, were you preparing then?. Malice’s words on “The Birds Don’t Sing” hit me harder than any other lyrics released this year, and they gave it to us in track 1. There’s not personal information readily available on the internet regarding the Thornton clan (a self-ensured blessing on their part I’m sure), which only adds to the mystique of Clipse as they dive into both family and personal matters for the length of Let God Sort Em Out . The record's first offering begins a pattern of ferociously confronting the elephants and skeletons scattered across the Thornton household, their beginnings which they’ve revisited in metaphor for years now – all with the help of John Legend's golden vocals. It’s a phenomenal first track content-wise as it flips the narrative on Clipse’ past from a place they escaped to a place they feel the need to revisit, with Pusha spewing his regrets from an apologetic place he’s seldom displayed and Malice recounting the tragic, consecutive passings of their parents with a special focus on his painfully retrospective appreciation for his father. Malice’s tirelessly constructed perspective works to offset his hotter-headed brother, deepen the album’s content, and link its chaotically corresponding takeaways. I had small but reasonable concern about the brothers’ chemistry, considering the 15 years that passed and the changes they’ve undergone. It seemed Clipse no longer had their collective focus, dope dealing, but in a satisfying show of maturity and a will to succeed, they found common ground. With their feet on familiar soil: the skateboard beats of the man who discovered them a quarter century ago, the brothers Clipse stand back-to-back ready to spit (with K Dot in tow). And as the second Pharrell instrumental rumbles to life, a storm of thought approaches. Scene by: Allie Larpenteur Clipse bursts into motion “Chains & Whips,” as lyrics slice through the air publicly eliminating internally burdensome and real-life targets alike. Kendrick Lamar drops in beside them to tack on a third fantastic verse – his relentless assessments of self and surroundings blend perfectly with his hosts, a pattern that’s common among this return album’s carefully sorted guests. Just like that, God’s sorting has sprung into full effect. The fashionista thug persona Pusha has been cultivating over his last two solo projects goes beyond lyrical content; his increasingly heady beat selection and ever-expanding industry access have allowed his sound to reflect this era of his career. Now, with Malice by his side, Pusha seems to have a reinvigorated sense of urgency in his words. Both brothers preach lifestyles, and while they differ in certain respects, they’re able to coexist within cohesive tracks thanks to a comfortable chemistry and like-mindedness in the most key areas. "M.T.B.T.T.F." is my favorite example. The underlying source of Let God Sort Em Out’s holistic synergy is Pharrell Williams. The sonic platform of this album exudes royalty and palpably high stakes – the perfect climate for Thorntons. Williams played big role in Pusha T’s recent stylistic progressions, and his wall-to-wall effort on this record only further solidified a sacred scene at the crossroads of contemporary hip-hop. It goes beyond banger beats like “Ace Trumpets.” The album feels like a collective vision. Take the flow from “M.T.B.T.T.F.” into “E.B.I.T.D.A.” : track 7 is a thumping beat. The choppy drums perfectly set up heavy bass drops, like tossing a ball up and slamming it down over and over and over as the brothers let their punches fly. Track 8 follows with Pharrell riding his light, spacey beat from the needle drop. His synth-work and atmospherics on “E.B.I.T.D.A.” replicate the elevated tension of a “Summer Madness” and maintain it as a backdrop for his fellow emcees. He is the glue and one of the many forces that brought these titans back into alignment. Following the seventh track, every song on the album has a feature. When track 9, “F.I.C.O.” presented a beat in the tonal valley between its successors’ sounds, Stove God Cooks swept in with the perfect hook to match. When Pusha laid down one of the hardest verse-chorus combos to start “Inglorious Bastards,” Ab Liva was there to deliver an on-par capping verse in a refreshing bassy tone the nasally Virginians lack. When Pharrell introed the eleventh track, “So Far Ahead” in his computer hip-hop gospel bag (which I could take or leave), he perfectly set up the sturdy beat drop into a relentless Pusha T verse. It worked so nice, they did it twice! (Which I didn’t need). This time dropping into a superior Malice verse, before trotting that flow-stopping chorus out one more time (which I really didn’t need, perhaps the only decision I disagree with record-wide). Nas stopped by quick on “Let God Sort Em Out/Chandeliers,” taking over the second half after a no-sweat-vet beat switch and riding a rolling beat for the album’s most memorable stand-alone feature. As the notorious number 13 rolled around, the sun started to emerge as "By The Grace Of God" introduced light to the previously stark sonic setting. The triumphant ending track finally eased the constantly applied pressure, allowing me to reflect on the album. And as I searched for chinks in the armour, I soon came to realize there are none. My expectations were massive for this record that I never thought I'd see, and my expectations were met. Does one small song-flow decision on a passable tune with great verses negate that fact? No. Let God Sort Em Out is a 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.

LOTUS GLOW , BY ADI OASIS BY: Ian Sherry 3/2 5/23 On March 3, 2023, Adi Oasis released her newest album: Lotus Glow. For those who don’t know, Adi Oasis, fka. Adeline, is a fantastic vocalist and bass player that sprung from the New York music scene. Performing as Adeline, she was the lead singer for Escort, a disco revival band led by JKriv, a fellow bass player and heavyweight DJ from New York. While they made great music, going solo was the clear next step. She’s assembled a great band, changed her name to Adi Oasis, and focused on touring and studio recording. Adeline has always been a stand-out bass player and vocalist fluent in many music stylings and arrangements, but Adi Oasis has found her own sound and identity. She is uber talented and possesses an impressive level of polish for someone who is new to solo recording, yet I had questions regarding her album making ability. Her first release, titled Adeline, was safe. She stuck to her enjoyable low-risk, low-reward R&B approach but it lacked her unique personality. Since then she has released two albums, blossoming stylistically and creatively, and getting closer to reaching her now obvious potential. Lotus Glow is not another hint at that potential, it’s a statement of fact: Adi Oasis is the real deal. My biggest question for Adi Oasis heading into Lotus Glow was her logistical album making ability. Her previous two albums were 30 and 25 minutes respectively. They had great moments, but for the most part they felt like collections of songs, not coordinated musical experiences. Lotus Glow’s album sequencing is much improved. It leads off with “Le Depart”, a short introduction that sets the scene with laid back instrumentals and a short chorus and cuts short just in time to bring the audience in. The anticipation is built and immediately released in the opening track “Get It Got It”. It brings energy, horns, a fun chorus, and the sound that she will fall back on for the remainder of the album. “Get It Got It” was one of the first singles and likely would have slotted in anywhere, but the opening slot was the perfect place for it. The only interlude, “Sugarcane”, is towards the end. The decision to place it so late is one I don’t fully understand, but it does serve to separate what I believe are the two weakest tracks. What impressed me most about her album organization was the final track, “FourSixty”. It begins with the exact same instrumental and chorus of “Le Depart” before satisfyingly dropping into her first verse. It is one of her strongest vocal performances on the album, and it holds a good feature from Aaron Taylor. While he feels a little bit raw at times, he brings a good contrast to her voice and sings in a variety of octaves. The song as a whole is a perfect sendoff to a near perfect album. Why near perfect? The biggest thing holding Lotus Glow back is “Naked” featuring Levin Kali. This song is already one of the most streamed on the album. This is no doubt in part because of the feature and his fanbase, but to be frank, Levin Kali is completely upstaged on this song. He begins with a rap verse which, while it was passable, lacked character in the performance. Everything Adi Oasis does, she does with swagger. Levin couldn’t hang. To make matters worse, down the stretch, the two harmonize for two separate vocal stretches. Their voices don’t blend well and they take away from what could have been a strong finish from Adi Oasis and Adi Oasis alone. Now, all the fault does not lie with Levin. He wasn’t the man for the job, but she is in charge. As she grows as an artist and gains access to better features she will learn how to incorporate them more effectively without cramping her own style. I think “Naked” proves this should be a point of interest for her next release. Adi Oasis is talented enough to pack a punch in every song. You can see her early work reflected in songs like “Marigold” and “The Water”, and her current sound is showcased in songs like “Serena”,”Red To Violet”, “Sidonie”, “Adonis”, and “You Make Me Want It”. However, “Multiply” is the best possible embodiment of Oasis’ style at this point in her career. It leads in with a murky base that contrasts perfectly with high pitched vocals and keys. The piano fills out the sound and allows the listener to settle into a fantastic vocal performance. Lots of times, when artists have heavy layers of live-recorded instruments, their voices can sit in the wrong part of the mix. It’s not a huge problem; maybe they just sing over the top or get buried at times by the weight of the tune. It can work, but Adi Oasis has the perfect balance. She creates an environment with her diverse multi-layered sound and sings in a perfect pocket that places simultaneous emphasis on her lyrics, bass, and wandering keyboards. Her personality is infused in this song and all of her best songs. The result is a fantastic listening experience. In the same sense that “Naked” holds the album back from perfection, “Dumpalltheguns” is what pushes it there in the first place. Though the year is still young, this song is an early candidate for my personal song of the year. On an album where Adi Oasis successfully plays to her diverse strong suits, she steps outside of her comfort zone on this song. The production is heavy handed and incorporates an electric feel I’ve never heard from her before. Once again the bass is very present, but so is a punchy electric guitar, a piano progression and layered keys, a cowbell, synth breaks, and echoed vocals in just the right spots. However, what stands out most is the message. “Dumb for your guns, wanna kill just for fun”. The first line of the song makes the message clear and Adi Oasis makes sure you can’t forget it, and with the absolute power of this song, you won’t want to. “Dumpalltheguns” is a perfect integration of her arsenal of capabilities. It displays a growing command over her own bass playing, songwriting, and vocal abilities, as well as a mastery of the studio and all hers has to offer. It is a successful callback to her work with Escort as well, bringing in elements of songs like “Cocaine Blues”. But, it's also a glimpse of the future: a future of much-needed social change in the USA and the future trajectory of Adi Oasis. 2023 music releases are off to a hot start, and Lotus Glow is my favorite so far. Adi Oasis scratches an itch that nobody else does. Her unique blend of influences combines for a cohesive, reliable, and recognizable sound. The best part is she has room for improvement. I could see her talent, but I had secret concerns about how far her seemingly niche style could take her. Those concerns are gone. She delivered moments on this record I’ve never experienced before, and I know she can do more. There are opportunities for improvement, but I have a feeling she already knows that. She seems to have a keen self-awareness, fixing problems like overly shrill vocals and the occasional inconsequential and uninteresting verses from previous releases. I have no doubt she’ll improve at incorporating features, and higher level collaborations feel inevitable. The future is bright for Adi Oasis, and at this point, her widespread success feels guaranteed. Lotus Glow is a 9.5/10.

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