We bring you… the hottest takes on last week’s Release Friday singles and albums. Fom the good, the mid, to the bad, we rank and review top tracks, giving trophies to the best of the best and tossing the worst of the worst into the bin.
Singles
Good
🏆 it’s murph, Nat Slater –– “Chemicals” puts an ethereal spin on the crowd-pleasing elements of dance music. it’s murph intersperses Nat Slater’s airy verses with explosions of electronic energy, and the two artists maintain a perfect equilibrium, keeping the party going.
Leon Thomas –– “Just How You Are” …pull out your phone and give this hit a listen. Thomas, Victorious star, delivers another single, this time over instrumentation that embraces dance and disco influences.
Mid
Chase Shakur –– “seeing red” is a short track with infectious 808s that make you move, and light rhythmically-tight vocals. However, Shakur’s mumbled lyrics leaving much to be desired and listeners wondering what the song is about.
Fred again.., Amyl and The Sniffers –– “you’re a star” …but this song isn’t one. While built on the bones of a techno hit with a bomb collaboration, the song is not disparate from most of Fred’s previous releases.
Bad
KOAD –– “papercut$” is a two-minute song, that somehow drags on for hours. An uninspired and bland burp of braggadocio, KOAD enlists a sinister whisper-style delivery of lines, but says nothing new, substantive, or even fun, resulting in an unengaging listen.
Albums
Good
🏆 MPH –– Substance is an album that demands our attention, particularly while pregaming for the neon-infused London nightclub scene. Described by UK house artist MPH as a “concept album” of a night out, the record certainly embodies the never-ending energy of night life with its riveting bass-drops and slightly distorted brit-pianos. The album comes with synth-heavy warmups/comedowns on the opening and closing tracks—both interludes to the main meat of the album. Where MPH lacks in substance for this ambitious project, he makes up for in style.
Mid
Taylor Swift –– The Life of a Showgirl, according to Taylor, is just as glamorous and self-mythologizing as we expected it to be. While the album’s imagery invokes big band grandeur, each song follows the tried-and-true Swiftian Pop Formula: sparkling synths + predictable percussion + zinger-riddled lyrics = certified earworm. Though, our starlet falters in the overwhelming stomp-clap of the title track, she finds her spotlight in the sugary-sweet “Opalite” and cleverness of “Father Figure.”
Kali Uchis –– Sincerely: P.S. (Deluxe) features Uchis’ classic ethereal vocals over tailor-made, smooth R&B instrumentals. However, the album seems completely uninspired, as the first seven tracks blend into one seemingly endless song, revealing that while Uchis has mastered her signature sound, the time has come for her to branch out.
Bryson Tiller –– Solace & The Vices is a two-disc project that accepts thematic difference wholeheartedly. While the first half (Solace) is the expected braggadocious Tiller hype rap, the second half (The Vices) is a more reflective and slow-paced B-side that shows growth from the artist. While a fun listen, the album ultimately feels bloated with its overall 24 tracks.
