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

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

THE BOYS, IN FULL WRITTEN & ILLUSTRATED BY: DAWSON SARCONA, 5/28/2026 2026 marks the release of many new superhero projects, but in one case, it also brings the end of a 7-year superhero series, The Boys. As someone who was around age 11 when The Boys first released, I wasn't a day-one fan of this series. However, about three months ago, I decided to binge the whole series (and its spin-offs) for the first time. S eason One Season one of The Boys starts with a bang, immediately dropping us into a world that's, at first glance, not too different from other superhero universes we've seen on screen. But as the season goes on and we dig deeper into the world of The Boys and the Vought corporation, something crucial happens. This show begins to encapsulate the media dependency and celebrity idol structure of American society in a way I've never seen a TV show do. On its surface, The Boys is a story of a group of misfits, criminals, and ex-military members taking revenge against a group of corrupt superheroes. But the show is so much more. It breaks down American media, propaganda, and how powerful figures can control so much of what we see. Since the early 2000s, directors have been trying to figure out how to depict superheroes more “realistically” with Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder taking their own cracks at it, but in my opinion, none of them come close to what showrunner Eric Kripke achieved with season one of The Boys. With a cast of very lovable, and in some cases very hateable, characters this show perfectly balances its comedic moments with serious and scary ones. Plus, Antony Starr as Homelander, especially in the last few episodes, flexes his acting muscle in such a way that rivals Heath Ledger for the best villain performance of all time. Season one has it all: decent action, comedy, a love story you can root for, a pure-hearted protagonist, a revenge story, and an ending that satisfies the emotional arc of its characters while leaving us on an immense cliffhanger. Season one of The Boys is one of my favorite seasons of television ever, a 9.5 out of 10. Season Two While initially starting much slower than its predecessor, this season builds upon itself very well, leading to an explosive finale that perfectly knots any loose ends from the first two seasons. Season two introduces a new character, Stormfront, who is an excellent addition to the series as her relationship with Homelander compels further descent into madness. The best parts of this season are series highlights, and it houses some of the most intense and chilling Homelander moments. The characters continue to grow, and we get to see everyone fall into their roles more. When you start a series its your job within the first season to set up who each character is and why they are that way, but once you get to season two, you get to really play with these characters. We know all of the core characters, so now we get to see them interact with each other and watch their dynamics develop. Seeing Hughie and Butcher on a more equal playing field, constantly arguing over the morality of what they're doing, is a great development rather than the mentor/mentee dynamic they had in the first season. This season is funny, more action-packed, and a great part two that enhances season one’s story. That being said, it does have its faults, the first two or three episodes being a bit of a drag. They're necessary to set up the rest of the season, but I wish they had a little more going on. Also, for at least half of the season, Hughie is in a depression, which makes sense for the character but darkens the show as Hughie is the only unwavering light and the heart in The Boys. In the end, like I said, this season starts bleak but it picks up a lot with some amazing prizes that bring it to an a 8.5 out of 10 for me. Season Three This season is hyped up as the best of the series by most fans of the show, and while I'm inclined to disagree, it is still peak television. This season gives us a lot of good things like Hughie and Starlight finally together, the Introduction of Soldier Boy, and the infamous episode “Herogasm”. The majority of the most iconic moments in this series stem from this season, and for good reason. I love how this season explores Homelander as he grapples with being on his own. In both seasons one and two, he had a woman that he clung to and directed all his affection and attention towards, but as we see him deal with the loss of Stormfront, he begins to truly unravel. Homelander is at his best, or I suppose worst, in this season. He is utterly terrifying, and it seems like they laid out some scenes purely to show off Antony Starr's acting chops. Jensen Ackles as Soldier Boy is a great addition to the show. He is a constant flow of hilarious (yet very offensive) one-liners, and his interactions with Hughie and Butcher are great television. As opposed to the gloomy season two, season three feels the brightest to me. The Boys are employed by the government, so they have funding and (for the first time) aren’t hiding from the law, and that lends a sense of growth for them as a group. Hughie has my favorite arc this season, however, as he obsesses over saving Annie (Starlight). This results in a great feud between them that is resolved in an awesome moment during the season’s final battle. This show is really great at executing good action or shocking moments that also serve their characters on a really emotional level, and this season has some of the best examples. We also get the introduction of TEMP-V, which allows both Hughie and Butcher to temporarily gain superpowers. This is a great way to continue upping the stakes in a natural way and allow for these characters to get in more intense scenes without having to use plot armor to keep them alive. One of these intense scenes is a fight between Hughie, Soldier Boy, Butcher, and Homelander during the episode “Herogasm,” and it is definitely one of my favorite scenes in the entire series. It's so well choreographed and put together that it outshines almost any other fight scene in the show. Here lies the problem I have with this season: Episode 6 “Herogasm” feels like the peak of the season. It's a bizarre, wildly explicit episode that ends in this awesome action scene, and it completely outshines the actual finale, which left me disappointed closing out the season. Still, the battle between Homelander and Butcher gains an extra layer of complexity entering the finale as they now fight for Ryan's affection, and inserting that emotional backbone does add to the weight of the episode. So while this is not my favorite season of the show, it's close with a 9 out of 10. Season Four Similar to how season three seems to be universally loved, Four seems to be universally hated. Likely because it doesn't stack up to the quality of 3, and that harsh decline makes it seem worse than it actually is. This season makes a choice that works very well for some fans of the show, and alienates others. Season four loosens the reins on its commentary and centers the heart of the conflict around politics. I personally think this is a GENIUS move, and I love the way it is executed. But, I also understand the argument that some plotlines are too accurate, that it's no longer a fun escape. That all being said, we get some great moments this season, but they are fewer and farther between than in the past three. The concept of someone like Homelander dipping his toe into politics is a very frightening one, a pre-made propaganda machine. One of the characters that comes out of this plotline is Firecracker, who is a great addition to the cast and a smart foil to Starlight's character. However, what doesn't work is Butcher's season four storyline. Butcher is dying for a majority of this season and is hallucinating a past colleague of his that basically is the devil on his shoulder. So for the whole season, Butcher is just making increasingly poor decisions and is becoming harder to like. This really bothered me and felt like a disservice to his character, especially as it ends with him killing a mother in front of her daughter. There's just unnecessary tomfoolery in this season. Hughie being tricked by a shapeshifter version of Annie is one such example, but it resolves itself quickly to avoid bogging down the plot. I am a big fan of the way this season ends, with Hughie, MM, and Frenchie all being taken to a Homelander freedom camp, especially because it delivers one of the most gut-wrenching scenes for Kimiko. The ending montage of season four is another one of my top scenes from the whole show, and I was kicking my feet like a wee little superfan watching it for the first time. While this season has more negatives than any others, I do find myself really enjoying the political commentary and other aspects of the show, so it's still a 7 out of 10 for me. Season Five Season five of The Boys just ended this week, and with it, so did the entire series. A lot of people also seemed to have issues with Season 5, but I personally think the 21st-century fan hates how any good show ends. We saw it on the internet with Stranger Things, and now we're seeing it here. This season is a clear improvement from the 4th, while running with a lot of similar commentary. With Homelander and his goons now in positions of power within the government, we start the season in a country run to the tune of Homelander's every request. The people who don't follow him are put into camps and stripped of their freedoms. This is a chilling way to start the season, and it only gets worse from here as Homelander attempts to become a god. This feels like the natural final progression of his character. He starves increasingly for praise, so for him to want to be the literal center of a religion is the ultimate fix. All of the characters are well acted and written this season, including the issues with Butcher, which are completely resolved, leaving season four’s arc to seem even more useless. We also get more of Jensen Ackles as Soldier Boy this season, and while most of his plot lines are blatant backdoor pilots for the Soldier Boy prequel series, Vought Rising, he is still a very welcome addition, and his interactions with Homelander are captivating. This was the first season of the Boys I've been able to watch week to week, and I have really enjoyed being able to react to it as it comes out with the rest of the community. Waiting week to week has allowed for more tension to build and hype to grow in anticipation of how this show would end. One thing I love about this season is that it feels final. It isn't afraid to kill off characters; in fact, it leans into it, killing more than half of its core cast. It carries these values into the finale and gives us a final fight between Butcher and Homelander that will also go down as one of the best scenes in the show. Finally seeing one of the worst villains in all American media be taken down after years of evil is so satisfying, and for it to be done by the hands of Butcher, a man who has dedicated his life to killing Homelander, made it all the better. Further than that, though, my favorite scene in this whole season is the final confrontation between Hughie and Butcher. Since basically day one, Hughie was been established as Butcher's “canary”, the only person with a pure enough heart to hold him back and prevent him from taking things too far. Their entire relationship across five seasons perfectly culminates in this scene where, to stop Butcher from spreading the virus and massacring all supes, Hughie ends up killing him. It's the perfect cap to this show, one last punch to the gut before sending us off to the tune of “Piano Man” by Billy Joel. As the credits rolled, I found myself satisfied. Was it the perfect final season? No. There were some blatant issues, like prioritizing the setting up of Vought Rising and the chase for V1 that added little to nothing. However, The Boys gave us everything we needed from its finale and managed an 8 out of 10. I can confidently say that The Boys is my favorite superhero TV show. The characters are just so likeable, and the ability to break down America and its faults through the lens of superheroes and comic book characters is something I haven't seen before and probably won't see again for a very long time. Yes, this show can be overly gory, raunchy, and all around inappropriate. But it's a wild ride, which, when it comes down to it, is about hope and determination. The mantra of this show is that no matter how dark things get, no matter how many times we fall down, if we get back up together and fight for what's right, we will win. That's an important message for America and the world as a whole right now.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

Hurry Up Tomorrow : Monday Is Looming By Ian Sherry 3/8/2025 The Weeknd released Hurry Up Tomorrow on January 31st, 2025. Abel Tesfaye searches for end-of-era-defining songs on what is rumored be the final album released under his present moniker. The Weeknd rose to prominence in the early stages of last decade when his trio of mixtapes, Trilogy , caught listeners’ ears with the shock-toxic club-pop he pioneered. Now, after releasing a decent debut, 2 consecutive smash hit records, and the first 2 records of his highly successful and allegedly final trilogy, the Toronto superstar entered this record evidently shorter on inspiration than he’s been in a long time. The reception of The Weeknd’s latest has been the increasingly typical mix of middling to high scores and mild to moderate enthusiasm. With the world’s top sound engineers at his disposal and having the knack for delivering sonically enticing soundscapes that he does, a certain level of critical success is all but guaranteed. The Weeknd will always provide a song like “Baptized In Fear” to scratch the hifi itch. But, if the repeated achievement of sonic standards is akin to success in your view, consider the remainder of this review a dissenting opinion. The Weeknd is out of gas. Fueled in his early days by the nightlife, Abel Tesfaye seemed to know his lifestyle wasn’t sustainable. So began his journey to pop stardom. His now 15-plus-year career has been marked time and time again by well-executed shifts in identity, ultimately bridging the gap between toxic trainwreck and cynical celebrity, but on Hurry Up Tomorrow he was too slow to pull the plug. The sound has reached its expiration date. The Weeknd’s identity, which was always a poignant feature of his artistry, is currently reduced almost singularly to his star status. The result is a hit-driven approach to the majority of tracks. With his mind perpetually set on the high point, the instrumentals have become electronic clouds of ambient ambiance. Take “Reflections Laughing.” The track begins with The Weeknd singing alongside a meek guitar playing no discernable melody, then with the help of a chipmunked sample hook and someone sitting on the bass button, he begins to build to the climax just 1 minute into the 4:51 song. He even drops an interlude into the middle of the song before a painfully lethargic Travis Scott feature accounts for the last 1:37. The song relies so heavily on audience buy-in that it is held together more by the robo-popstar personas of Tesfaye and Scott than any legitimate musical structure. “Wake Me Up” kicks off the album with artificially anthemic energy that is essentially typical for a record chock-full of musically hollow moments of sonic cinema. Because The Weeknd’s voice is so piercingly clear, it lacks texture. This can be positive when belting out pop choruses, clarity plays well to general audiences, but like any other form of delivery, there’s a time and a place. The wider variety of vocal stylings on his early mixtapes occasionally put The Weeknd in uncomfortable vocal pockets that were a more challenging match for his performative skillset. It was not uncommon to hear the strain in his delivery, but it only added to the already edgy sound. That edge is gone. “Timeless” is a jam and the perfect counter to last paragraph’s claim. Playboi Carti settles into the atmospheric Weeknd-style trap beat like he was born there and brings a couple flows along with him. The Weeknd steps up to the plate next and handles the later majority of the track like he can and should, effortlessly delivering multiple delivery styles, rhythms, and rhyme schemes. Unfortunately, while performances of that caliber aren’t singular to track 13 of the 22 total, the average vocal performance is much more pop formulaic - fine but nowhere near the displays of talent and skill he’s achieved. Instead, he gets outperformed by both Future and Lana Del Rey and milks a third of the songs for minutes longer than nature would’ve allowed. 22 songs is a somewhat ridiculous number, but exceptions can be made. That’s a status The Weeknd has certainly earned. Likewise, he’s earned a few electronic pop flops. Acts that categorically raise the bar in certain areas of evaluation can perhaps be allotted modified expectations in select areas that are less favorable given their skillset or style of undertaking. But this year, there were just too many lapses. I’d return to just 4 songs: the hifi success “Baptized In Fear” (7), the prompt, washy “Opening Night” (8), the aforementioned “Timeless” (8), and the a1 trap-pop “Niagara Falls” (10). There was a smattering of excellent transitions, and of course, the soundscapes were on point. Hurry Up Tomorrow is a 5.8 .