“The Roster” is a series created by Aneesh Batchu. Each week, a tier list of the best, most average, and worst new releases is published alongside blistering hot takes. The best of the best receive a trophy, and the worst of the worst are tossed in the bin. First, Batchu tackles the latest singles. Then, the team comments on the most recent albums.
Singles
Good
🏆 The Black Keys, DannyLux – “Mi Tormenta” captures the chaos of forbidden love. The funky bass groove sets the stage for soulful vocals and a bluesy percussion section of crisp cymbals, simple snares, and resonant bongos.
Myles Smith – A “Whisper“ of the past surfaces when listening to this folksy callback to the pop hits of 2014. Although basic, the catchy chorus and the broader ever-escalating layers of sound leave this song, at its end, a larger-than-life ode to love.
Faye Webster – “After the First Kiss” encapsulates the titular feeling of its namesake perfectly. The listener ascends to the timbres of an ethereal string ensemble, gentle acoustic guitar, and muted keys, while the lyrical repetition of the title beautifully captures new lovers’ giddy headspaces.
ian – “End Up Gone” complements ian’s style without becoming fully trapped by the templates of his recent successful works. The new single utilizes his signature potent autotune, dense, 8-bit beats, and rhythmic bass.
ericdoa – “do ya?“ is a masterful execution of synthpop, effectively utilizing the genre’s electronica stylings and song interior samples for ad-libs. The song is a controlled chaos, as is the entire genre it embodies.
Mid
Lil Durk – “Monitoring Me“ is more an extended feature than a standalone single; the sharp-edged delivery and unsatisfying conclusion leave the song incomplete.
A$AP Ferg, Future, Mike WiLL Made-It – “Allure” has little allure itself… This is yet another Ferg story of life in excess propped up on an okay Gothic-themed beat.
Joe Jonas – “What This Could Be“? Well, it certainly should be more interesting than it is. While not sonically poor, everything about the basic synth plugin, eighth-notes-heavy drumming, and generic lyrics scream average.
Cochise, Aminé – “NASTY” is not a far-off descriptor for the song itself. This song obliterates what is lovable about Cochise’s familiar hyper-rap style. This song is a new low, with a ‘nasty’ chorus over an over-distorted wreck of a beat.
Jason Derulo, Jawsh 685 – “Make Me Happy“… not quite. This new track failed to bring me happiness.It’s a lyrically generic piece set to tropical instrumentals, and while it isn’t off-putting, per se, it is boring. glaive, kurtains – “Live & Direct” is anything but. The opening is a misplaced carbon copy of some forgotten ‘80s rock song and the bridge has a country twang. When the song eventually transforms into classic glaive hyperpop, we’re already overwhelmed and thrown off.
Bad
🚮 KSI, Trippie Redd – “Thick Of It“ is a fantastic Minecraft parody that I would’ve been bumping in third grade. Sike! It’s a childish money grab of a song released this past week.
Money Man, Key Glock – “Demons In The Dark” employs a spooky beat and a weird yet catchy hook, but ends up a parody-like, unserious song.
Skilla Baby, 4batz – “So Bad” Is. So. Bad. The title is correct! Congratulations to the industry plant’s first-ever feature on this unfortunate mess of overproduced snares and whiny Skilla Baby vocals.
bbno$ – “two“/ten scored by this piece. The laser gun sfx beat sounds like nails on a chalkboard. On top of the harsh brake, bbno$ brings his signature quick raps about nothing.
Albums
Good
🏆 Leon Bridges – Leon is the artist’s newest hit. It’s effusive but mellow, with a deep well of sound and varied instrumentals — everything is intentional, from the heartfelt piano ballads to the more energetic pieces. Bridges brings his raw, emotional vocals to the beautiful, nostalgic lyrics, and the album thus feels like it is mourning the end of something while blissfully welcoming something new. This is the perfect fall album. – T. Millenson-Willens
Sampha – [DELUXE] Lahai is a majestic addition of four songs nearly a year after the original album’s release. Mimicking the album’s originally relatable lyrical atmosphere and again applying unconventional instrumentation, this deluxe makes the already profound pop project four songs more significant and unique. – A. Batchu
Victoria Monet – [DELUXE] JAGUAR II follows the thematic precedent set by the previous Jaguar projects, maintaining the highly acclaimed albums’ display of Monet’s versatility as an artist. This time, the deluxe brings engaging new sonic elements, dabbles in other genres, and meaningfully used features (including Usher). – A. Batchu
Mid
Coldplay – Moon Music is not as out-of-this-world as the title suggests. While the record is not awful, the production techniques and melodic habits are a rehash of the band’s discography from the past decade. – C. Nnadozie
James Bay – Changes All The Time is an attempt at a moment of reflection. Its subdued, quieter tracks are successful, and the moves outside of his slightly stagnant brand of stomp-clap folk pop is refreshing. Although optimistic and rather fitting for autumn, some individual tracks are out of their depth, as sweet and introspective lyrics bleed a bit too saccharine at times. Despite this, the tender, sweeping vocals solidify Bay’s presence as a fixture in the ever-expanding world of vulnerable singer-songwriters. – J. Guzzo
Tory Lanez – Lost Cause is Lanez’s return to a trap sound, as compared to the R&B “Alone at Prom” deluxe project. This album brings the violence, and though it shoots high, it misses the mark with ceaseless repetition. – A. Batchu
Bad
🚮 Lizzy McAlpine – [DELUXE] Older (and Wiser) and, apparently, more boring. Although the additional songs are heartfelt, they are painfully repetitive. McAlpine laments her previous relationship in the same way in each of the “new” five songs, which is not helped by each track opening with simple guitar chords, over and over. – A. Batchu
