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
🏆 Aminé – “Arc de Triomphe” incorporates heavy bass and a stunning piano sample alongside Aminé’s classic delivery. After the previous single, this track builds clear diversity in Aminé’s style, an exciting sign for the upcoming album.
Lana Del Rey – “Henry, come on” is Rey doing what she does best. An orchestral instrumental beautifully accompanies her soulful, soft voice.
Ro$ama, That Mexican OT – “Show Me the Money” is a fun rap that preserves both artists’ styles. A flute melody intriguingly pairs with a trap beat in the track’s production.
Martin Garrix, Arijit Singh – “Weightless” is an innovative pairing of some of the world’s most famous from electronic music and Bollywood. The song possesses a unique sonic appeal and special meaning to me, having grown up with Garrix and Singh’s music.
Mid
4batz – “n da morning” is a fitting title for this low-key track that encapsulates that early-morning feel.
Shaboozey, Myles Smith – “Blink Twice” captures the ambiance of a 2010s montage. Though it may well be sonically pleasant, it’s stale and repetitive, not even bothering to highlight Shaboozey’s trap-country specialty.
Quavo, Lil Baby – “Legends” appears a fully realized idea from the start––take, for example, the strong bass line that weaves throughout the piece. Unfortunately, it falls apart, choosing to stick to the tired, typical tropes of both of these artists’ works.
Tee Grizzley – “Rick Jameski” is kept interesting only by Grizzley’s ad libs. The other elements––from the regular bassline to generic lyrics––feel ordinary.
Green Day – “Smash It Like Belushi” is a fun track reminiscent of Green Day’s glory days. Instead of matching this tone, however, it seems the band attempts to copy their previous melodies to make this piece.
Cynthia Erivo – “Worst Of Me” is likely not one of Erivo’s worst. It’s an empowering song and seemingly intentionally theatrical. If not for its generic lyrical scheme, the song is a sonic success.
Bad
🚮 Jelly Roll – “Dreams Don’t Die,” but Jelly Roll’s creativity may have. This sounds exactly like every other Jelly Roll track, with its unoriginal guitar line and cliché country-pop lyricism. Fans of the sub-genre may feel at home here, but I’m bored.
ALBUMS…
Good
🏆Bon Iver – SABLE, fABLE has been six years in the making, and it shows. Between pristine production, erudite yet visceral lyricism and a heavy helping of hummable tunes, this record certainly meets the Bon Iver standard of quality—which is to say, pretty damn good. What’s more, Swifties rejoice: this newest comma-punctuated release sees Vernon showing off the bass-baritone chest voice we collectively drooled over on ‘exile’ (You Season 3 finale anyone?) In short, there’s a lot to love here. – H. Templeton
Bad
🚮Ken Carson – More Chaos demands to be retitled as Same Chaos because all the beats on this album are related by blood. The washed-out, distorted sounds throughout the album may work through the speakers, but through the headphones, they’re no more entertaining than my LinkedIn feed. – B. Joshua
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