Will's Album Reviews (Spiderland by Slint)

[willapted33]

I've thought about opening this for a while, but I guess filthy 's thread finally inspired me to make my own review thread. If you didn't know, I have written reviews on rateyourmusic and Instagram for the past couple of years, but I feel like I am more active on Pulse, and there would be more people interested.

Feel free to comment any albums you want me to review, can be old or new. I am not going to review every single one because I am quite a busy person, but I will get to as many as possible.

These albums will be mainly hip-hop but feel free to recommend me albums of any genre.

Please comment or like this post if you want a tag in my first review.

Thanks for reading.

[Mylo13 💜]

This will be cool to watch! Hopefully through this I can also get motivated to listen to more hip-hop records lol.

[Taiga]

Can't wait to see what you have to say about King Kendrick's masterpieces. I'll also take a page from mylo's book and be on the lookout for possible recommendations.

[filthy]

willapted33 can’t wait to see your reviews! I actually have an album suggestion: “Lost & Found” by Jorja Smith. It’s her debut album, an R&B record that was highly anticipated.

[willapted33]

Jul 10, 2018 4:14:34 GMT -5 filthy said:

willapted33 can’t wait to see your reviews! I actually have an album suggestion: “Lost & Found” by Jorja Smith. It’s her debut album, an R&B record that was highly anticipated.

been meaning to check it out, guess that'll be my first review :)

[willapted33]

Album Review #1

Requested by - filthy

Information



Album: Lost & Found

Artist: Jorja Smith

Released: 8th June 2018

Genre: Contemporary R&B, Neo-Soul, Trip-Hop

Length: 12 tracks; 46 minutes


Jorja Smith is an English singer-songwriter, who released her debut album Lost & Found earlier this year. She has previously released singles and an EP independently and more significantly opened for Drake and collaborated with him on More Life.



Review



Overview


On this project Jorja displayed her powerful and silky smooth vocals, famously showcased on Get It Together, one of the standouts from Drake’s More Life. Lyrically and thematically, Smith explores many topics including police brutality on her breakthrough solo single Blue Lights and other challenges that she faces, globally and personally. A lot of the production is handled by producers that are relatively unknown in the game, although this doesn’t stop it from sounding very sharp yet soothing underneath her vocals.


Track by Track



Lost & Found


The intro and title track to this project is quite possibly my favourite song on the entire album. The production on this song is incredible, with a bouncy bassline that sounds beautiful with Jorja’s vocals. Speaking of her vocals, they are for sure the highlight off this song – sounding emotional but controlled. Amazing song.


10/10


Teenage Fantasy


This song features another bouncy sounding bassline that again works very well, especially against the soft piano melody. This track features a much stronger melody and a clearer chorus than the intro, with relatable lyrics about loving someone who doesn’t want you back. Another great song.


10/10


Where Did I Go?


Where Did I Go? is the third straight song featuring a jumpy beat, and like the last track features a soft piano melody off it. Also like Teenage Fantasy, this track has a very catchy hook that works really well, as Jorja deals with personal struggles.


10/10


February 13th


February 13th is another song that features the idea of someone not loving you back, and wondering why said person does not feel the same way towards you. Jorja’s vocals on this track are great. However, I am going to have to deduct point because of the production, featuring a weird robotic sound effect all throughout the second half of the song and a distorted vocal pattern that tires quickly.


6.5/10


On Your Own


A slower and more ballad sounding track, On Your Own still features a fairly explosive and impressive chorus, at least vocally. The production on this one is very minimal, but that suits the tone of the song well. Very solid track.


8.5/10


The One


This song features a new element to production, with some crisp strings used to make the song feel more emotional and dramatic. A more low-key chorus vocally, but the production is more intense here so it balances out to be just as powerful. Another song that sticks.


9.3/10


Wandering Romance


This is another example of a song that had the potential to be great, but ruined by an element of the production. Every ten seconds or so there is an “egh” sound and throughout the song it gets more annoying and more annoying. The writing on this song is strong and so are the vocals, so it’s a shame that this annoyed me so much.


7/10


Blue Lights


Scrap what I said about Lost & Found being the best song on the album, Blue Lights, although releasing in 2016 is my favourite song on this record. Featuring a soft piano melody, this track is a beautifully composed political statement about police brutality and racism. The lyrics on here are powerful and you can hear the emotion in Jorja’s voice. Incredible song.


10/10

Lifeboats (Freestyle)


The last of the energetic songs on the album, with a nice plucky beat and continuing the theme of questioning things that happen in the world, and why it’s the way it is. Very solid song.


8/10


Goodbyes


The beginning of a few ballads on the record, Goodbyes displays Jorja’s incredible tone and range very well and contains some great melodies. Overall, a really good song although it gets a bit samey after a while.


8.5/10


Tomorrow


The first minute or so of Tomorrow shows Jorja singing her ass off with little backup in terms of production. After that, a drum beat kicks in for the rest of the song and Jorja herself continues to display her magnificent range. Yet again I am impressed.


8.7/10


Don’t Watch Me Cry


At this point, the album starts to feel slightly repetitive, with the third ballad in a row. The lyrics and vocals on this track are gorgeous, but this doesn’t stop the song from feeling like a bit of a drag.


7/10


Overall


Jorja Smith’s Lost & Found is a very impressive and mature debut which features stellar vocal ability and displays lyrical skill and Jorja’s ability to sound good over different styles of production.


8.7/10

[filthy]

Ohh I’m so glad you liked this! I also like how you kinda set the lyrics aside and primarily focus on the beat/production. Great review, Will!

[Mylo13 💜]

Good review! Out of curiosity though, do you have a favourite and least favourite on this record in particular?

[willapted33]

Jul 11, 2018 4:53:28 GMT -5 filthy said:

Ohh I’m so glad you liked this! I also like how you kinda set the lyrics aside and primarily focus on the beat/production. Great review, Will!

I tend to look at different aspects of the music based on what genre of music it is etc. with an R&B record (like this) I am pickier with melodies, production, vocals and the overall sound of the songs. Whereas if I was reviewing a conscious hip-hop album I would take lyrics, flow and production into consideration the most. So yeah, it really depends on the artist and genre what I critique the most. 

[willapted33]

Jul 11, 2018 5:29:13 GMT -5 Mylo13 💜 said:

Good review! Out of curiosity though, do you have a favourite and least favourite on this record in particular?

My favourite would be Blue Lights (although Lost & Found and Teenage Fantasy are also incredible) and least favourite would have to be February 13th.

[YotamTS]

damn you give a lot of 10s lol

tag me for your next review

[willapted33]

Album Review #2

Information


Album: Scum F*ck Flower Boy / Flower Boy

Artist: Tyler, the Creator

Released: 21st July 2017

Genre: West Coast Hip-Hop, Neo-Soul, Alternative R&B

Length: 14 tracks; 46 minutes (lol)


Tyler, the Creator is an American rapper who rose to fame with the group he founded Odd Future (featuring Frank Ocean, Earl Sweatshirt and Domo Genesis among others). While the group split up a few years ago, Tyler himself has released various projects such as Bastard and Goblin (which put him in hot water for controversial lyrics (these lyrics also infamously got him banned from the UK stupidly), Wolf, Cherry Bomb and his most recent effort (Scum F*ck) Flower Boy. Flower Boy received much critical acclaim, scoring 84 on Metacritic and commercial success, peaking at #2 on the Billboard 200 and going gold in the US.


Review


Overview


Flower Boy is not Tyler's most ambitious project, but it is definitely his most complete. It blends serious lyrics with gorgeous vocals and synths to create an almost heavenly vibe. The album is also extremely cohesive, using a variety of short radio talk show style snippets to blend tracks together. I also have to note that Tyler produced every song on this album, further proving his musical talent. Flower Boy was a very important piece in Tyler's discography, as it was the first time he truly displayed that he can make a fully cohesive project, that still showcases his creativity that he's famous for.


Track by Track


Foreword ft. Rex Orange County

Foreword is the true embodiment of a strong intro. It's more than anything, an indication of the type of introspective thinking that would be displayed on the rest of this album. The words "if I drown and don't come back / who's gonna know" being sung by Rex Orange County in the outro give the listener the idea that Tyler isn't even sure that anyone would care if he drowned. The pulsating synth production goes very well with Tyler's delivery and the smoother production during Rex's vocals set the mood really well. Outstanding intro.

10/10


Where This Flower Blooms ft. Frank Ocean

Where This Flower Blooms more less tells the story of Ty's rise to success, with the first verse focusing on when he was broke, the second on becoming more successful and the final verse on where he sits now. The whole song continues to tie in with the nature/flower them of the album, with Frank Ocean's chorus mentioning the sun shining on him. Very solid track.

9.5/10


Sometimes...

This is just an interlude that leads into the best song Tyler has ever made.

n-a/10


See You Again ft. Kali Uchis

See You Again is one of the most beautiful songs ever created. With lyrics about Tyler's dream partner, and Kali and Tyler singing over this gorgeous synth melody, it would be impossible to dislike this song. Tyler has also gone onto say that this is his favourite song on the album, and when he first heard it on the radio (after being blacklisted his whole career) he was recorded literally crying. Such an incredible, feel good track.

11/10


Who Dat Boy ft. A$AP Rocky

Who Dat Boy brings us back to reality from an R&B inspired track, to the hardest banger on the whole record. Honestly this doesn't have a main lyrical focus despite just being Tyler and Rocky saying f*ck you to everything and everyone in their path to success. And this doesn't bother me in the slightest. The strings on the production and bassy drums bring out Tyler's agression and Rocky's lyrical prowess to their absolute peaks. WANG$AP will be the greatest collab album of all time, you can hold me to that.

11/10


Pothole ft. Jaden Smith

Pothole is an interesting departure from the them of love to a song focusing on the obstacles in Ty's life, using the metaphor of getting stuck in a pothole as a means of communicating these obstacles. The metaphors on here are very impressive, with some of my favourites being "snakes in the grass, but I walk" referring to the people in his life that will stab him in the back but how he doesn't let them bother him. Another one is "everyone is a sheep, me, a lone wolf
" which refers to everybody he knows following trends, while Tyler himself makes them and breaks various barriers by himself. The only thing on here I don't love is the chorus, which is a bit too repetitive.

9.2/10


Garden Shed ft. Estelle

Garden Shed once again is about love, this time directly focusing on coming out. It's very clear when you read through the lyrics that this song is focusing on that topic and more specifically Tyler himself pretty much comes out on this song, saying "truth is, since a youth kid, thought it was a phase / thought it'd be like the phrase; "poof", gone". This is a monumental moment for Tyler's career as he was literally banned from places around the world for his use of the word f***** in his older music.

9.4/10


Boredom ft. Rex Orange County & Anna of the North

Boredom expands on the line about Tyler being a "lone wolf" in Pothole, much more deeply and implies that Tyler is constantly feeling lonely. With the words "boredom got a new best friend" repeating in the chorus it's clear Tyler often feels like his best friend in life is the literally feeling of being bored. I absolutely love the guest vocals and production in this song, with Anna of the North being particularly impressive on the hook. Standout song.

11/10


I Ain't Got Time

I Ain't Got Time is the second hardest banger on the album, behind Who Dat Boy. If you still weren't convinced of Tyler's sexuality before this track the iconic "I've been kissing white boys since 2004" line should convince you. As well as this, I Ain't Got Time offers a contradiction to Boredom, as on the previous song the line "find some time" was extremely prominent, while here Tyler says that he hasn't got any. Another amazing song.

10/10


911 / Mr. Lonely ft. Frank Ocean & Steve Lacy

911 / Mr Lonely. is another example of Tyler displaying his loneliness, literally calling himself 'Mr. Lonely'. The 911 side of this song is filled with sad lyrics over upbeat production, while the Mr Lonely. half is even darker lyrics with harsher, more bassy production. The production and lyrics flow together so well, with Frank, Steve, Rocky, Anna and even SchoolBoy Q assisting vocally it's a very impressive ride of Tyler's emotions. This song is also a clear representation of Tyler's lyrical ability and is a fan favourite for a reason. 

11/10


Droppin' Seeds ft. Lil Wayne

Droppin' Seeds is a nice track, although very short. It features a great Lil Wayne verse followed by a short outro. Apparently the title alludes to dropping bars, which makes sense as this song is pretty much Weezy dropping some nice rhymes.

9/10


November 

Novemeber is another lyrical journey, this one primarily concerning Tyler's fears and insecurities in life. There are so many strong bars in this one that it's hard to pick a favourite, so I'll just say that I recommend everyone to listen to this song. The production on here is also great and sets up the bridge fantastically. Overall, another great song showing off Tyler's lyrical ability.

9.8/10


Glitter

Glitter is another love song, where Tyler talks to his crush - making him feel bright and sparkly inside like the title would suggest. I really enjoy Tyler's pitched up vocals on here, which really emphasise the bubbly effect he gets from his crush/dream partner. The same synths that feature all over the album are on this track and work really well with making the song feel happy and bubbly.

9.7/10


Enjoy Right Now, Today

Enjoy Right Now, Today is a pretty long instrumental track that features numerous shorts vocal snippets and more bright production that finish the album as it should be finished. It also connect the end of the album back to the start. Great outro.

9.2/10


Overall


Tyler, the Creator's modern masterpiece Flower Boy features a display of incredible lyricism about some vary topical and personal issues, along with brilliant features and gorgeous production that combines to create one of the greatest albums of the decade. The more I listen to this record, the more I enjoy it and realise that it's truly one of the best projects of our generation. And I know that this is only my second review and it seems a bit early to do this, but it is in my top 10 albums of this decade and it's near flawless

so...


10/10


Favourite Tracks - See You Again, 911 Mr. Lonely, Who Dat Boy, I Ain't Got Time, Boredom, Foreword, Glitter, November, Where This Flower Blooms, Garden Shed, Pothole

Least Favourite Tracks - none


YotamTS  filthy  Mylo13 💜  Taiga

[filthy]

lol knew you were going to give this a 10/10

My favorite of his will also forever be See You Again - flawless song.

Great review

[willapted33]

Album Review #3

Information


Album: TA13OO

Artist: Denzel Curry

Released: 27th July 2018

Genre: Southern Hip-Hop, Trap Rap, Hardcore Hip-Hop

Length: 13 tracks; 43 minutes


Denzel Curry is a Florida Born rapper, who released his debut studio album Nostalgia 64 in 2013, his second Imperial in 2015 and most recently TA13OO in 2018. He rose to prominence from his hit song Ultimate, which was the anthem for the ‘bottle flip’ trend a few years back. This led him to being chosen for the 2016 XXL Class and being put on the best most popular XXL Cypher of all time. This video has amassed over 90 million views and features the likes of Lil Uzi Vert, 21 Savage, Lil Yachty, Kodak Black and obviously Denzel Curry.



Review


Overview


With TA1300, Denzel Curry has reached a potential I never saw him reaching. In his previous projects he has always been about the rapper – while on this one we get some more melodic and R&B style tracks that balance it out superbly. Going through the tracklist – there are no below average tracks here and some legitimate song of the year contenders. As well as that Denzel brings in some truly amazing features from the likes of billie ellish, ZillaKami, JPEGMAFIA, J.I.D and GoldLink plus production from Ronny J and Charlie Heat among others. This album blew my mind.


Track by Track


TABOO | TA13OO

Taboo is a brilliant, chill intro to the album where Denzel sings and raps about a girl he knew who suffered abuse and molestation when she was very young. He offers to help her overcome this in a variety of ways. The beat is fairly melodic and works beautifully in this track. Amazing intro.

10/10


BLACK BALLOONS | 13LACK 13ALLOONZ ft. GoldLink & Twelve’len

For the second track in a row, Denzel uses this new soulful style under the ego Denny Cascade. Denzel and Twelve’len sing one of the absolute best choruses on the song, with GoldLink having a very solid guest verse. My one complaint with GoldLink’s verse is that he sounds a little too similar to Denzel. The outro on this is also very chilling and quite epic.

10/10


CASH MANIAC | CAZH MAN1AC ft. NYYJERYA

On Cash Maniac, Denzel is assisted by his friend from school Nyyjerya speaking on his success and how the haters can’t get to him. The hook from Nyjerrya is truly beautiful and Denzel’s short and to-the-point verse are enjoyable. Not as good as the first couple of tracks but still a great song.

9.3/10


SUMO | ZUMO

Sumo was the incredible lead single for this project. Charlie Heat brings explosive production over Denzel’s bars that could rip through any rapper alive. A true departure from the melodic first few songs. This is another song about Zel’s success, this time with a more monitory focus as the hook would suggest.

10/10


SUPER SAIYAN SUPERMAN | ZUPER ZA1YAN ZUPERMAN

The next track on the album is a nice reference to the popular anime Dragon Ball Z, with more explosive and aggressive flows over another fast-paced beat. Super Saiyan Superman is about how Denzel is in Super Saiyan mode and could destroy any rapper alive.

9/10


SWITCH IT UP | ZWITCH 1T UP

Switch It Up is a very interesting song about bi-polar disorder. The hook is also a cool way of looking at the condition and is insanely catchy. Through his voice, Zel is able to show different perspectives of an individual with bi-polar. Really creative song.

9.3/10


MAD I GOT IT | MAD 1 GOT 1T

Mad I Got It is another departure of the hard and aggressive flow with a slightly more melodic hook, less bassy production and a more laid-back flow. It’s a take on a bunch of topics and the overall lyricism on here is really impressive to me.

8.5/10


SIRENS | Z1RENZ ft. J.I.D & billie ellish

Sirens is a real album highlight for me, like Blue Lights from Jorja Smith’s Lost & Found it speaks on police brutality as well as other issues in America. Unlike, Blue Lights this song features some very strong lyrical rap verses from Denzel Curry and J.I.D. J.I.D caught a lot of attention after his incredible performances on the XXL Freestyle and Cypher for this year – and he doesn’t disappoint here. As well as that, upcoming singer billie ellish is featured on this song and her and Denzel kill the hook. Amazing song.

10/10


CLOUT COBAIN | CLOUT CO13A1N

On Clout Cobain, Zel speaks on hard hitting issues like suicidal thoughts and mental illness. This is a more melodic song on the album – although the verses still hit hard. What really does it for me on this track is the beat and the hook. The beat has a nice melodic piano line that switches up in the chorus for an awesome effect. The hook is so damn catchy and uses clever wordplay relating his suicidal thoughts to Kurt Cobain. Best song on the album.

11/10


THE BLACKEST BALLOON | THE 13LACKEZT 13ALLOON

The Blackest Balloon is one of the darkest songs on the album, talking about how Zel feels like a horror movie and speaking on his family issues. The beat here is cool, although a bit simplistic and this track feels like filler to me.

7.5/10


PERCS | PERCZ

The second single from the album, and the one that really got me hyped was Percs. On this track Zel talks about a slew of issues including trash mumble rappers, people faking being tough and how he doesn’t f- with the percs (Percocets). The beat on here is also amazing and this track is overall one of the absolute best on the album.

11/10


VENGEANCE | VENGEANCE ft. JPEGMAFIA & ZillaKami

Vengeance is another song that brings super aggressive flows and production, along with amazing features from upcoming rappers. JPEGMAFIA blew people away with his experimental rap record Veteran in January, and his feature here is great. ZillaKami uses a style similar to 6ix9ine, except that he is actually good. His verse on here goes so hard. The hook on here is really cool with the vocal effects adding more aggression to it. The is also a nice way to wrap it up.

11/10


BLACK METAL TERRORIST | 13 M T

The outro to this project is another aggressive display, with Zel rapping his ass off about how he will body any rapper and compares himself to the Black Metal Terrorist. This is another great song and is an excellent way to wrap up this excellent album.

9.5/10


Overall


Denzel Curry’s latest studio album TA13OO, further proves that he is one of the best rappers alive and brings his artistry to a new level with the singing element of this album. There are many standouts on this thing and no bad tracks. I look forward to what the Zeltron has instore for us next and until then – thank you for this incredible album.


9.75/10


Favourite Tracks – Clout Cobain, Percs, Black Balloons, Taboo, Vengeance, Sirens, Cash Maniac, Sumo, Black Metal Terrorist, Switch It Up

Least Favourite Tracks – The Blackest Balloon


YotamTS filthy Mylo13 💜 Taiga   

[Taiga]

I know a few Zel songs (thanks to your playlists btw). Given your review, his new album is a must and I'll try to listen to it within the next few weeks.

[thelegends]

Travis Scott - Astroworld

Please review it.

[willapted33]

Album Review #4

Information

Album: Astroworld

Artist: Travis Scott

Released: August 3rd, 2018

Genre: Trap, Pop Rap, Southern Hip Hop

Length: 17 Tracks; 59 minutes

Travis Scott is a Houston born trap rapper. He released his debut EP in 2008, following it up with underground mixtapes in 2009 and 2011. In 2013, with the release of Owl Pharaoh he began to see some success. Then in 2014 and 2015 with the releases of Days Before Rodeo and Rodeo, Travis became a hip hop superstar. This only increased in 2016 with the release of birds in the trap, sing mcknight. Around the 2015-2017 period his songs Antidote, goosebumps and Butterfly Effect all became Hot 100 hits. However, in 2018 with the release of ASTROWORLD, Travis became a legitimate superstar - opening up with the second biggest week of 2018 behind only Drake.

Review

Overview

With ASTROWORLD, Travis is able to rebound from birds in the trap sing mcknight and Huncho Jack, which were both major disappointments in my opinion, at least when compared to Rodeo. He is able to capture that same glory from Rodeo, that set the hip-hop world alight back in 2015 - and then some. In the 17 tracks on this album, I would only consider 2 of them to be filler and I don't dislike any single song. As well as that, this album features several of Travis' best songs, and some of the best tracks of the year. Overall, through the vocals, production and features ASTROWORLD is so far my album of the year, and one of my favourite albums of all time.

Track by Track

STARGAZING


Stargazing starts Astroworld with a druggy and spacey experience full of solid bars and with an iconic Travis Scott beat switch. The hook on here paired with Travis’ high pitched vocals make the first half a joy to listen too, while the beat and one liners make the second half an exciting ride.


10/10

CAROUSEL
ft. Frank Ocean

While Stargazing was more of a chill ride if anything, Carousel is absolutely a rollercoaster. From the catchy beat featuring a Beastie Boys vocal sample to Frank Ocean’s killer chorus and verse, Carousel is hands down one of the best songs on the album.


10/10

SICKO MODE
ft. Drake & Swae Lee

Here’s the big hit from the album, featuring the biggest artist in the world right now. Well, biggest hits at least – as Sicko Mode is essentially a 3 in one. The first part features a melodic verse from Drake, the second with Travis and Swae Lee while the third Drake and Travis doing their thing. The Tay Keith beat at the end has to be my favourite, and this song is absolutely a standout for me.


10/10

R.I.P SCREW
ft. Swae Lee

This is the first example of a filler song on the album in my opinion, and it just sounds kind of weak. The beat is really cool and chill, and sure both Travis and Swae sound good over it, but the only line in the whole song I can remember is “Rest in Peace to Screw, tonight we take it slowly”. So yeah, this is a nice little track but I never find myself returning to it.


7.6/10

STOP TRYING TO BE GOD
ft. Kid Cudi, Stevie Wonder & James Blake

Travis’ lyrics + Cudi’s humming + Stevie Wonder’s harmonica playing + James Blake’s vocals = one of the best songs Travis has ever created. This is an obvious album highlight. Easily the most creative cut on the album, due to the things already mentioned, although I would like to note that it all comes together well (surprisingly). My favourite part of this would have to be James Blake’s sung outro, seriously some of the most beautiful music I’ve heard all year.


10/10

NO BYSTANDERS
ft. Juice WRLD & Sheck Wes

On No Bystanders, Travis brings together two of the hottest up and comers in the world – Juice WRLD and Sheck Wes for an epic club anthem. Sheck’s chorus here is seriously amazing, his voice and adlibs are perfect for it. Juice’s pre-chorus contrasts this beautifully and it creates one hell of a vibe. The beat on this track is also great, as its quite simple which puts the focus on the three lead vocalists.


10/10

SKELETONS
ft. The Weeknd, Pharrell Williams & Tame Impala

Here it is, my favourite song on the album. This track features The Weeknd, Pharrell Williams and Tame Impala and it damn sounds like it. Easily the smoothest and most beautiful song I’ve heard all year – with The Weeknd’s vocals over Tame Impala’s gorgeous production. I literally live for that sound at 1:30 of Abel’s vocals perfectly blending in with the production. This is for sure in my top 5 songs this year. Perfection.


10/10

WAKE UP
ft. The Weeknd

Here is the second straight song featuring The Weeknd, this one definitely being the more hit sounding of the two. The hook on this is infectious, and the guitar strums on the production get stuck in your head easily. Wake Up is a very fun song on the album and one of the stronger tracks here overall.


9/10

5% TINT


5% Tint is another one of the best songs on the album. The piano sample along with Travis’ lyrics on the chorus create a spooky vibe. This song is just overall very complete and full sounding – like it ticks all the boxes to a great track, and it’s hard to explain so just listen to it lol.


10/10

NC-17
ft. 21 Savage

I am not a massive fan of this song, for one reason and one reason only. Travis, why use *that* vocal effect? His vocals are pitched up here in a way that sounds overly sweet and sugary and it just comes off as annoying and weird. 21 Savage is also on here, and I actually really like his verse here so there’s a positive. The beat is also cool, although I bit plain. Not a bad song by any means, but could be a lot better.


7/10

ASTROTHUNDER


Astrothunder is a cool little song, but focuses too much on being “little”. It’s 2:22 in length but somehow feels even shorter than that, containing a short chorus, a short verse and another short chorus. Yeah, that’s it. While the beat on here is awesome, it’s still not enough to carry this song for as long as it does – so yeah some filler here, not bad though.


7.5/10

YOSEMITE
ft. Gunna & NAV

This is the track that took the longest to grow on me, although now that it has I can’t get enough of it. The beat on here is the definition of chill, featuring a little melodic guitar melody and drums that don’t distract from the vocals. Gunna is the real saviour of this song, with the chorus easily being one of the best and more memorable parts on the whole album. The only negative of this song is NAV being here, although (thankfully) he isn’t here for long.


9.5/10

CAN’T SAY
ft. Don Tolliver

Another song, another guitar beat. This one features another super catchy chorus – this time from Travis himself. I love Travis’ performance on here, he just sounds awesome and fits in so well on this track. The featured artist, Don Tolliver does his best job to try and ruin the song, with his awful voice but it’s drowned out enough to not be *too* annoying, although he really does drag this would be great track down a bit.


8.5/10

WHO? WHAT!
ft. Quavo & Takeoff

I’ve seen plenty of people hating on this song, and yeah I can see why but I personally love it. Featuring Quavo and Takeoff of the Migos, this song admittedly does sound like it could belong on one of their albums. Travis uses a pretty basic flow here, but his lyrics are interesting enough and the beat is really on point. Takeoff’s part on here is a nice touch, although to make this song really good it should’ve been a bit longer.


8.7/10

BUTTERFLY EFFECT


This was a surprising choice to me, to include Butterfly Effect but leave off Watch. Although I can’t really complain, as this is by far the superior song. The beat on here, while super poppy, is still amazing and I can honestly say the same for Travis’ chorus. The whole thing is very sweet and radio friendly, but I still can’t help to love it – great song.


9.5/10

HOUSTONFORNICATION


Houstonfornication is obviously an ode to Travis’ hometown, Houston. It features a great flow and some of the best lyrical content on the album. The beat is also nice in the background. Travis himself is for sure the highlight of this song though, with a great hook and verses. Overall a great song.


9/10

COFFEE BEAN


Coffee Bean is the most chill Astroworld gets for sure. The beat on here is very creative, and something you would rarely see in hip-hop music. If Houstonfornication was some of the best lyrical content on the album – Coffee Bean IS the best. The whole song is a vibe, and a great outro in my opinion – to wrap up the best album of the year.


9.3/10


Overall

ASTROWORLD may have its flaws here and there, but that has got to be expected in an hour long, 17 track project. It propelled Travis Scott to superstar status, both critically and commercially and for sure features some of his best songs. The features and overall rapping on the project are incredible, while the production stays fresh and creative. This is without a doubt my album of the year.

Critical Rating - 9.5/10
Personal Rating - 10/10

Favourite Songs - SKELETONS (favourite), CAROUSEL, NO BYSTANDERS, 5% TINT, STOP TRYING TO BE GOD, SICKO MODE, STARGAZING, YOSEMITE & BUTTERFLY EFFECT
Least Favourites - NC-17


thanks for staying patient with me, I knew this was going to be a long review so I kept putting it off - I have holidays coming up so expect some more reviews soon!

YotamTS filthy Mylo13 💜 Taiga thelegends

[Zach]

Imma need a tag in these reviews por favor.

[filthy]

Great review will. I gotta start doing my reviews again, I've just been busy.

[Taiga]

That's yet another one I'll add to my list of albums I need to listen before the year ends.

[willapted33]

Album Review #5

Information

Album: Blonde
Artist: Frank Ocean
Genre/s: Alternative R&B, Neo-Soul, Art Pop
Released: 20 August 2016
Length: 17 tracks*; 60:08

*the spotify playlist I have linked is the version I will be doing track ratings for since be yourself, facebook story and futura free for the most part are interludes/spoken

In 2016, Frank Ocean released a video album titled 'Endless' through Apple Music on August 19th. Whilst this was underwhelming at the time, it turned out 'Endless' was released to end Frank's ties with Def Jam and 'Blonde' was the album fans had actually waited 4 years for. His first independent album 'Blonde' debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200, selling over 200k and debuting several songs onto the Hot 100. The album has received much critical acclaim, with Metacritic naming it the 3rd most acclaimed album of 2016. and the album being #4 for the year of 2016 on RateYourMusic.


Review

I have a confession to make, I used to think this album was boring and extremely overrated the first few times I heard it, and believed 'Channel Orange' was a lot better than this album. However, on about 5th listen - this finally clicked. People online often said 'Blonde' was an album to listen to at night, so at about 10pm one night late last year, I listened to it. After about 5 tracks I quite literally didn't believe what I was hearing, every song was just - perfect. I truly believe this album is the definition of a grower, On first listen it may seem slow and boring compared to Frank's other work, however once you start loving this album; you can't go back. At this point, 'Blonde' is in my top 5 favourite albums period, and in my opinion is one of the best bodies of work ever created.

Nikes

'Blonde' opens up with Nikes, a thoughtful and blissful intro that is simply the perfect way to start the album off. The beat opens up slow and pulsing, the way it continues throughout the 5 minute track. The highlight of this song of couse, is Frank himself. The first verse on here is heavily auto-tuned and pitched strangely, to give off the impression that it is fake in a way, as Frank talks about materialistic items (hence the title) and the lyrics/fake vibe work perfectly here. Then we get the first glimpse of normal Frank, as he talks about the hype surrounding the album, his fame, drug use, religion and other issues. The bridge then talks about Frank's relationship and ends off the song superbly.

11/10

Ivy

The second song on the album is catchier and another favourite on the album. Frank's soaring vocals about growing up with another beautiful, abstract beat is simply an incredible feelings. Frank also sings about a failed relationship on this track, and reminisces on it in the lyrics. There's not much more to say about this song, other than it is incredibly beautiful and keeps the hot-streak going.

11/10

Pink + White
(ft. Beyonce)

'Pink + White' is the most gorgeous the album gets, with angel like backing vocals from Beyonce and a piano melody completing the song. The song was produced by Pharrell, which isn't surprising as it's some of the best production on the whole album and captures the vibe Frank was going for on the track. The lyrics on the song come off as a backup thing on this track, as the sonic aspect of the song simply steals the show. 

11/10

Solo

'Solo' is yet another standout from 'Blonde', this time a tight song about loving yourself and having a great time even when you're by yourself. It's a great message, and is delivered in a very strong way. Another big name hops on the production here, with 'Solo' being produced by James Blake, who in fact plays the organ that runs through this song. Another masterpiece.

10/10

Skyline To

Frank talks about many different things on 'Skyline To', such as sex and drugs to name a few. The production sounds like something off of Tyler, the Creator's 'Flower Boy', which is funny as Tyler has production credits on this song. Frank himself doesn't say all that much on this song, so the production is left to do some heavy lifting, and overall the lack of a concept or hook makes this song the weakest thus far.

8.9/10

Self Control
(ft. Yung Lean & Austin Feinstein)

This is a song that has grown on me enormously, where a few months ago in my Frank Ocean rankdown I didn't understand the hype to this at all, but with repeated listens that changed. This song is a journey. It begins with more pitch shifting, before the guitar kicks in and Frank sings the first verse about a past relationship. Then the chorus kicks in from Austin Feinstein - the leader singer of a small indie band. Frank has another verse about this relationship, while Yung Lean joins Feinstein for the second chorus. After this, a strange guitar-vocal alien noise is heard for a while - very reminiscent of the ending to Kanye's 9 minute epic - Runaway. Frank ends the journey with the best part of the song, a touching outro about how he knows this person has other priorities but Frank wants to be with them.

10/10

Good Guy

This song is short... just 1 minute long. Frank speaks about someone he met who wanted to have a short 1 night stand, while Frank is looking for a deeper relationship. The outro is short, but speaks on the difficulties of being homosexual. Whilst the song is short, the beat and lyrics are enough for this to be considered another strong track on the album.

8/10

Nights

And... here it is... the best song Frank Ocean has ever made.

Nights begins with a truly majestic sounding sung-rap verse that has got some beautiful melodies entwined in it. Frank speaks again on a relationship, as well as his use of drugs. His voice in this section on the song is simply... incredible. The beat then changes a bit while the bridge and chorus play out to end the first part of this masterpiece.

Then

my god

the fuccking beat switch man

the beat starts fading out, getting more and more distant and more and more distant until, *bang* it snaps, almost as if it breaks before the more R&B flavoured part of the song begins. Frank speaks about how he was living in poverty and how he had to relocate to Houston after Hurricane Katrina hit. The whole thing is very emotionally driven, and is very raw and unfiltered in a way. Overall, this is for sure the highlight of Frank's career for me, and one of the absolute best songs of the decade.

11/10

Solo (Reprise)
(ft. Andre 3000)

Another song that runs for just over a minute, this time with no appearance of Frank at all. Instead, we get a legendary verse from one of the greatest rappers of all time. The song itself is very minimalist with Andre and a piano essentially carrying the whole thing. The lyrical masterclass put on here by Andre is incredible, with possibly one of his best verses ever. It's hard to cover everything he covers here, so take a minute out of your day to listen to this track but basically he covers - loneliness, depression, police brutality, consumerism, overworking himself, trend-hopping, ghostwriting and more. Incredible song.

11/10

Pretty Sweet

This song is odd, especially when compared to the rest of the album. The production is louder and more complex, while the album focuses on simple beats this one is chaotic in a sense. The lyrics essentially are meaningless. Yet at around the 2 minute mark this when the guitars and Frank's crooning take over - a sense of true beauty is found. An interesting song to say the least.

8.5/10

Close To You

Yet another short song here, with this one just shy of 1 and a half minutes in length. The lyrics on this song again are short, although these ones make sense - referring to a breakup Frank had. There isn't a lot to this song, but it isn't bad. Frank's vocal effects on here are odd but don't sound off-putting. A weaker track, but still not a weak one.

7/10

White Ferrari

'White Ferrari' is another emotional song about a relationship, with Frank going over memories about his lover and the good times they had. The lyrics on this song are scarce, but pack a punch that is elevated by the raw emotion in Frank's delivery. The production on here is simple and beautiful, and the overall effect of it combined with the vocals create a uniquely emotional song - one of the best on the album at that.

10/10

Seigfried

Guess what this song is? An emotional song about a break-up and relationship - yes. Another one. This one with no vocal effects, just Frank singing over a very minimalist beat that seems to not even be there at some stages during the track. The productions then continues to swell during the second verse until the bridge, which sounds orchestral almost. The whole song continues to adapt sonically and lyrically and there's no other way to put it than beautiful and sad.

10/10

Godspeed
(ft. Yung Lean & Kim Burrell)

'Godspeed' is a touching song, with beautiful vocals and solid production. I don't believe it stands out all that much though, compared to a lot of the other tracks on here - as the beat isn't anything special and the lyrics aren't anything all that special either. Fine song but not a highlight.

8/10


Overall

Frank Ocean's 2016 classic 'Blonde' is a borderline perfect album, with never a dull moment and plenty of incredible highlights. The individual songs here work great, but the true beauty of this album is as a collection - including the 3 tracks I didn't review (especially Futura Free). This album is just, special, once in a generation and is one of the best pieces of music released this decade.

Critical Rating - 10/10
Personal Rating - 10/10

Favourite Tracks - Nights (Favourite), Pink + White, Ivy, Solo (Reprise), Solo, Nikes, Seigfried, White Ferrari, Self Control
Least Favourite Tracks - n/a



YotamTS  Zach  Mylo13 💜  Taiga  filthy  thelegends

[filthy]

Amazing album amazing review xo

[Zach]

Great review Will. Blonde is one of those albums I can listen to in full countless times and have an enjoyable time each listen without ever getting tired of it.

[owenlovesmusic]

this review inspired me. ima listen to Blonde tonight.

[willapted33]

album review #6

slint - spiderland





released: march 27, 1991
genres: post-rock, math rock, post-hardcore
descriptors: lonely, anxious, cold, noctournal, dissonant
length: 6 tracks, 39 minutes + 31 seconds


how slint used post-rock to capture the feelings of loneliness and anxiety

in the fall of 1990, slint would begin recording their 2nd and final album as a collective, "spiderland". the process was short, but emotionally draining - as it would result in founding member brian mcmahan checking himself into rehab for depression just days after it was recorded. so what is is about this album that causes such violent emotions?

to sum it up, spiderland is no ordinary album.

the first thing that stands out to the listener is the dramatic changes between the quiet, whispering vocals of britt to brian's more metal influence yelling vocals. this is mainly done to differentiate between moments of description and standstill, and moments of action in within the story. it is very abrasive and can be hard to listen to at first, but it works perfectly within the context of the album.

another thing this record does is create soundscapes that are able to emotionally move the listener. on the track "breadcrumb trail" for example, the soft plucky guitars and spoken words at the beginning create a typical soft little story that is relatable for the listener. then comes the screeching guitars, yelling vocals and more bashful drumming where the lyrical climax occurs. this occurs before the soft and cold spoken words come back at the end of the track to end and summarise the story. this use of not only lyrics, but sound to tell a story is utilised better than any other album i've heard. another example is on the track "don, aman". this song uses the quiet vocals and math rock inspired guitar chords to make a truly uncomfortable sounding song. the beauty of it is that this is exactly how the group wants the listener to feel. the story of the song is that "don" is feeling uncomfortable and anxious at a party, and with the whispery vocals and distant guitar strums, slint is able to create an atmosphere that perfectly captures this feeling. this use of lyrics, vocals and sound is perfectly executed to create certain musical environments that helps to put the listener in the protagonist's shoes and inside the protagonist's head.

this album makes the listener feel like they are the character in the lyrics. the character experiencing anxiousness and loneliness. or to put it in a different way, this album makes the listener feel lonely, anxious and disconnected from the world whilst listening to it. it takes the listener to a different place. a cold, dark place. a place filled with alienation and depression. a place full of spiders.

spiderland.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


track ratings

breadcrumb trail - 10/10
nosferatu man - 10/10
don, aman - 10/10
washer - 10/10
for dinner... - 9.3/10
good morning, captain - 10/10


top 3 tracks

1. breadcrumb trail
2. washer
3. nosferatu man

ratings

tracklist rating average - 9.883/10
overall tracklist rating - 10/10
cohesiveness - 10/10
creativity & influence - 10/10
lyrics - 10/10
vocals - 10/10
production & instrumentation - 10/10


overall rating

10/10
top 10 album of all time
the best album of 1991
the best post-rock album

slint's spiderland



YotamTS  Zach  Mylo13 💜  Taiga  filthy