2019 ALL

AJ Tracey - AJ Tracey

Like many-a grimer's flow, Tracey's broodingly braggadocios expertise-n-earnestness approaches oppressive. But not many carry this much comfortable crossover appeal while remaining so lyrically deft+dense. He's got enough suave r&b lover-man charm to pull off stuff like "I wanna get you home and give your thing a thumping / I carve the pussy up like I'm cutting pumpkin / Pussy like The English Channel every time I jump in"; later on labeling her ex-man "a lab rat". And for all the swift exactitude dude's got quite the kaleidoscopic quiver of ad-libs, impenetrable tangles of slang and rhyme, accented accentuation for days. No pills/just chill his m.o. from the get-go yet could calmly kill it at the club, perhaps preoccupied with possessions and sleeping with people but so pumped bout his success on "Doing It" you can't help but root for him. See "Country Star" for what Young Thug's guitar album shoulda went for, and personal fave "Horror Flick" for fantastically furious Halloween cheese -- in which ad-libs include "watch out", "grrr", "blahtt", full-moon howls. 7/10

Angel Bat Dawid - The Oracle

ABD rides the line between mystic and putterer -- the haunting titular weeps of "What Shall I Tell My Children Who Are Black?" eventually stumblin' into a static mumblin' of the same crucial query, space-airy noodle jazz that can near transcendence yet is content with abruptly ending when "it's good enough" or supplying sadistic improv for a quarter-hour. So take joy in the little things -- bass throbs, a free spirit, the pretty vs. raw, the crackle, the anxiety, that air, memories of playing the recorder in 4th grade. Answer to aforementioned crucial query comes two trackzz later: "We Are Starzz". 7/10

Better Oblivion Community Center - Better Oblivion Community Center

Stylistically sensible as a merger between Oberst and Bridgers may be, this debut doesn't really try to push it. A why-not try more than an astonishing bond, ten rather easy tunes in thirty-odd minutes, playing it safe vocally via stickin' to same-line superimpositions. But how reasonably and comfortably they rouse, mutual in their ache and anthemic aptitude and sharp lyrical stickiness. Consummate in the touching sparse and fuzz-outs and Digital Ash-esque electro, it reminds me that I'm a sucker for ballads and guy+girl vox; and how nice it is that that there bright-eyed old guy still stands seasoned and relevant -- some of best stuff he's been on in a while, no doubt. 8/10

Black Dresses - Thank You

A cute/abrasive combo so caustic+booming it damns Sleigh Bells to hell, adolescent anguish and detached affectations so outrageous they're firmly make-or-break or both -- if you can stomach the blare-n-character the hard part is not hearing a gimmick. But this duo's raspy shrieky wail-fests are so unprecedented and pure, sonics in fact a rather genius gathering of industrial and pop that don't care much for levels or forgiveness, amateur innocence that's silly and hooky yet seriously searing. Check the grotesque "Wasteisolation" for scuzz-validator, "Wheel of Fortune" for true dream chorus within a nightmare, "Look Away" for guaranteed mosh pit/rave. See vox interruptions for a therapy session, having a laugh, hacking up a lung, turning up the volume. What speaks more to you: "All I see is dog shit / Yeah I know it's hopeless" or "All I know is nothing's gonna be alright"? 8/10

James Blake - Assume Form

Coercing him a bit more out of the sad electro-soul shadows are Metro+MCs with doses of midnight bounce and Rosalia for a duet so warm-n-delicate it sounds like they're slow-dancing. However the true boost here by far is Blake's newfound partaking in mutual love and companionship -- all at once giddy, reluctant, open, bashful; a burgeoning repentant recluse calmly in awe. Forever the fragile and frigid fellow, his hopefulness and happiness and capacity for a life-change feels cozy but careful, readily summoning the gorgeous and romantic but has trouble moving past hesitance and the bewilderment that he ever got here in the first place. Choice assessments for when you stop being a ghost in a shell and fall for another human being: "Now you can feel everything / Doesn't it seem more natural?", "When you can't believe your luck / You're with a friend", "I thought I might be better dead but I was wrong", "Let's go home and talk shit about everyone." 8/10

Carsie Blanton - Buck Up

With a terse 10-track glide of a record as accentuator, this showcases Blanton as versatile virtuoso that's bashful, bodacious, funny, calmly aching. With ease she emanates jazzy cool, classically trained folkie, punk quirk, low-key liberation. Between the sheets with nicely dressed mistakes/just the thought of them one minute, "We stole this nation fair and square / And a whole lot of people in chains / But it was all for the glory of God I swear / And the glory of capital gains" the next. Then there's feather-in-the-breeze balladry, a lip-hair letdown jaunt that could qualify for Grease 3 material, an album title that doubles as a legit life motto, getting back in bed until the president's dead. Backing band: pro ragtag that's restrained yet rich and crucial enough to earn their own hails. Harmonizers, too. 7.5/10

The Coathangers - The Devil You Know

Scuzzed pop-rock grooves that seemed a bit routine+tinny initially but prove to be their selling point, tight-without-trying punk-without-posture femme-trio that each contribute specific vox. Resultant is the tude of melodic purity and raw been-through-hell 'fuck bullies' toughie merged magnificently, a sweetened anthemic scorning of the NRA swoopin' in outta nowhere at the midpoint ("Suck my dick"), dreamy "ooo-woo"s beside background horror shrieks, junkies crawling up the walls, a potential hoarder realizing their possessions may possess them, grungy punchiness capped by a lithium-laced chill-thrill. Special shoutout to drummer Stephanie Luke aka 'Rusty Coathanger'; who can make simple cymbal splashes and cowbell taps define the tune. Right, and her voice sounds like rust. 7.5/10

DAWN - New Breed

Certainly more expressive-n-exciting than 2016's sloggy Redemption, but makes me yearn for the concise cohesion of her airtight Infrared EP. Stuffs so much into ten trax/just over a half-hour that it becomes a bit of a blur; such a brisk mix-bag it's tough to tell who she's trying to be: hard-nosed NOLA-born boundary buster, pop-crossover/club-hit hopeful, tribal signee, theatrical vocal soarer, artsy acapella applier, jealous Instagrammer, "the motherfucking king", Dawn Richard, DAWN, SZA. Does em all decently, though. 6.5/10

Billie Eilish - When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We All Go?

An extremely exclamatory preface of Invisalign discard and pompous laughin' kinda seals Billie+bro's notoriety as home-school rich-kid youngun weirdos whose sudden fame is mystifying. Turns out the dubious duo have made a minor masterpiece in melding pop, throbbed bass, stark minimalism -- accessibility on top of meticulosity, distortions, secrets, whispers. Through a rollercoaster flow she dons the crown with cool calm, possessing a perspicacity and pipe-restraint that is rather frightening for a 17-year old. Coldness with chuckles and heart and a stunningly sad triad of ballads to wrap it up, and even when its quietude and uke are a bit yawn-inducing you value that they go there. Having to honestly confront your xan-fueled friends and sampling The Office: ah, to be young in 2019. 8/10

Endon - Boy Meets Girl

Whereas their severity generated stunning shock-n-awe on 'Through The Mirror', here it's comparably flattened and fuck-around; the shock still shocking but spun sillier. Skimble-scamble for sure. Band without much plan stuffing as much scrumble and squeals and swishin' into the mix as possible mostly serve as a vehicle for Taichi's vocal antics, and together they transmit something between a group with big amps trying to piss off talent-show attendees and failing at taking care of your friend's newborn. But screeches are horrifying as they are hilarious, rigor and Motorhead riffs never hurt, 11-minute monster "Doubts As a Source" seems to simulate sex and/or a horror flick and closes with opera -- I get a kick out of it. Just hope they don't fall from purveyors of auditory authority to sheer agitators. 6/10

Flume - Hi This is Flume

A festival-friendly popular-pop-producing DJ is right to wear this 'mixtape' on their sleeve as such. Sports a furious and frivolous flow while doling out an emboldened drilling of bass+shrill, glitch+glimmer, ghosts+gorgeous, bendy dancy beats. Many-a choppy and curt whatever-track make for tantalizing twists-n-turns, rapid rap verses proudly stand hand-in-hand with wailing vocoderobot, it somehow always ends up celestial, and when all of a sudden comes a lightly remixed Sophie classic you're like "sure come on in." Lotta good for what could be scraps perhaps. And just to underline, the couple times when it comes to MCs believe they go hard -- I've never enjoyed JPEGMafia more. 8/10

Fontaines D.C. - Dogrel

Impassive vox and rigidity make their post-punk plain compared to oh say Idles, but unembellished precision and Irish-dry demeanor aptly appeal. Groove and buildups perpetually vital, raggedy rock conspiring with clarity+momentum, choruses that call for shoutalongs they would never dare orchestrate. Maybe most standout however is a capacity for moving calm-downs: with sarcastic-sounding "I'm gonna be big" and "sha sha sha"s the first impression is irony; formally forsaken by the effortless melodic punch of "Television Screens" and beckon-back to when he was "a cool cool kid" whose eyes were evergreen instead of dead. Heck, the ender could close a pub. 7.5/10

Ariana Grande - Thank U, Next

Most captivating perhaps is that for a singer of Grande's stature it's so, well, hers. No frills, no fuss, no bombastic guest pandering, not pored over, vaguely personal while preserving that ol pop-star ambiguity. Can't say I'm emotionally invested in her ability/alacrity to buy anything or beckon others' boyfriends, but I laud her forward vulnerability and lack of bullshit. Even with a horrifying concert bombing and suddenly deceased ex-boo fresh under her belt, such "baggage" always just lies under the surface, never subject to harping or detail or direct reference. Which some may call commercial+cautious; I lean more towards poised+professional. And right: full listen is a cohesive breeze, each song specific, a voice that dazzles without overdoing it, steady pop mastery. Faves of which abolish sham smiles and spell out a space agency's acronym to transmit that this star needs some space. 8/10

King Midas Sound - Solitude

"A meditation on loss" this duo calls it, yeah yeah add it to the pile. But they've done it in such a stark, dark, striking and engulfing way. Drone+diction guarantee a difficult-n-disturbing glimpse into one side of a tolling breakup, which under the recital of spoken word commandant Roger Robinson transfixes and paints a creepy+cogent picture. Insecure about being minus a plus-one in his late thirties and steadily sinking into a solitary abyss, he occupies the atmosphere supremely yet allows plenty of room for it too, every syllable ice cold and accounted for, inflections subtle but mighty, expertly at calculatingly going nuts without blowing his top. And for what is essentially an obsessed stalker, he never reaches pernicious; tho sharp signs point to the likelihood of on-the-cusp -- "not angry / just empty", he does push-ups in restroom stalls and watches cooking shows in the dark, screams her name in the wilderness til he's hoarse, craves raw meat and hates water, spies from a distance and wonders who she's been fucking. For the finale, he enjoys pad thai and coffees with her fellow exes while they all share gripes, split the tip, and admit they still miss her. Definitive Mantras: "gone", "alone", "disappeared". Before The Breakup: "The only time we parted was to go to the toilet / We consumed each other / We became feral, we lost weight, we turned pale / We fucked like wild animals / We stole leather jackets and jewelry / We were bored, we were beyond bored". Release Date: Valentine's Day 2019. 8/10

Jenny Lewis - On the Line 

Constant big boomy cakewalk drums are kind of a bummer, Lewis isn't going above+beyond by any means. But arrangements manage to be elegant and easygoing and modestly stadium-ready all at once, so that drum thing comes in handy; and Lewis still coolly proves to be a frontwoman for the ages. Hooky without being hokey, classically killer voice-n-tone that doesn't strain or howl too far down the sap-hole, imagery and oddities and troubles so poised; perhaps poetic or witty or with a strut. First three tracks broadcast bongs, Marlboros, everyone eventually becoming skulls, poppies, bourbon, crumbling cookies, Candy Crush, caffeinated cocktails, kissing a narcoleptic poet in front of Harlem nuns; barely breaks a sweat. "Nudie pics" cited in lovely standout ballad, fits right in. "Hollywood Lawn", could've bookended Happy Gilmore. 8/10

Malibu Ken - Malibu Ken

Sop's whirlwind wordplay and persistently static delivery are a combo bound to eventually go obnox, or at least become a big clever ball of mush you can't bother to chase. But they're HIS balls of mush, dammit. Gotta give it to him for accuracy and vocab, the ability to assemble assiduously then rap it intelligibly. Crucial tho is all the wit-n-weird wielded within, which Tobacco's warped minimal timbre and robot vox complement. Good at getting by on bemusement when it's kinda about nothin', better when there's a palpable point involved -- take the one where car fungus comes to symbolize his life, or the time a controversial eagle meal was caught on webcam. 7.5/10

Matmos - Plastic Anniversary

Plastic as single-source restriction is a far more conceptually compelling and contemporary gimmick than previous peculiar palettes -- e.g. crayfish nerves, hair, a washing machine. But how they go bout conveyin' this one is the clincher. Some bits distinct as billiard balls and poker chips, some presumably actual instrument, many manipulated to the point of could-be-anything, the concurrent sense of unnerving doom and daffy cartoon; this is in the pitch of plastic. Slickness turned sickening, convoluted yet accessible, wobbly+rattling+riveting, the uncomfortably squeaky glaze of shoes on a basketball court or lil nips to the brain. Pliable as hell and a hoot to boot. Baby aliens on a rollercoaster? Ominous space-dust for finale forecasting the future? 8/10

Jay Mitta - Tatizo Pesa

Doesn't reach Bamba Pana's immersive mind-fuck drilling or possess Katapila's playful squeaked/yelped charm, but I suspect when it comes to Singeli-on-steroids stuff maybe I'm simply a sucker. Constantly teetering on maddening but the cuckoo velocity and fun fused with force are always an appealing aesthetic -- painful repetition simultaneously bounces and stabs, funny meets assaultive, the irresistible mashup of primal/propulsive/polyrhythmic, the endless effulgent energy, vox nice when there but not necessary, blurring over-the-top and brilliant. Plus some cat meows never hurt. 7.5/10

Moon Tooth - Crux

To be clear, Carbone's clean-n-cheesy emotional rocker wails+whimpers+woahs may never sit completely right with me, but you gotta hand it to him for not skimping on the soul and sinew. Plus eventually it's evident that they're a pretty crucial piece in this accessible-metal puzzle that they pull off so well. Siked full-band commitment is certain, and here balance is truly key -- proggy, punchy, passionate, fun yet poignant, heavy but flexible, melodic and groovy and riffy and meticulous. Thrills are plentiful, but gotta love the softie-start title track's anomalous minute of roars coming off as a lil near-end gift for those who'd been pining for more pugnacity. Particularly potent right after radio-ready "Awe at All Angles" lays down a bonafide super-silly chorus that sticks with you anyway ("Awe awe awe awe awe awe awe AH-UH"). Ultimately you'll even be fine with his "fucker"s. 8/10

Nav - Bad Habits

Awkward Uber Ride: The Soundtrack. ~*~meh~*~

Nkisi - 7 Directions

Each one of these 7 directions i.e. roman-numericaled techno tracks casually mesmerizes, and despite their near-neverending rhythm patterns trick you into thinkin' they're sparse. It's stark sure, rather simplistic and trying. But solidly-n-sneakily she stacks subtleties and complexity aplenty inside these lengthy bass-beat abysses. To follow up the curt cryptic-club Kill EP with this is a legit leap I'd say -- 6+minute stretches of smoky subdued-yet-not house done with ease, a few moments that actually awe, the mechanically fixed meshing with the hand-done random, keeping up with dat cryptic. That ol panning laser worm never hurt neither. 7.5/10

Numenorean - Adore

Canadian blackgazers with breakout potential up the ante from their great-but-kinda-forgettable debut for sure. The flow and flexibility here accomplish it alone, but helps too when there's a well-defined hook driving half the trax. What they've got in range and remarkable loud/soft dynamics they kinda lack in genuine gnar and spirit, however. Voice variety capable+considerable but few moments I'd mark as truly moving. Drums too dominant. Post-y parts glimmery-n-pleasant yet too oft a bit prosaic-n-tiring. Half of it also seems like interludes, for better or worse. Title track sounds like black metal itching for a brightly lit stadium all on their feet clapping along and a bit like Aaron Lewis; drip and triumph and fury neatly segmented and lasting about two minutes too long, for better or worse. 7.5/10

Octo Octa - For Lovers [EP]

Simply put, sometimes all you need is a lil slice of solid no-nonsense house. For 3 tracks/23 minutes this nails the itch; by mostly sticking to basics. Each piece a wee bit protracted but still just kinda flying on by, it's casual yet enveloping -- dancy but diligently understated, sucking you in without going too deep, minimal melodies snug with resolutely smooth groove and actual emotion. Subtly panning hi-hats and sampled syllables, classic mysterious-yet-approachable ghost hook for introduction, nice touches. A shrouded lovey shoutout to family/supporters/yes, lovers, a nice one as well. 7.5/10

Pissgrave - Posthumous Humiliation 

A handle like Pissgrave grouped with a megalomutilated mug for album art ensures a disgusting ordeal methinks. And ceaseless scum it does deliver. The disorienting+deafening mix'll pump dat blood and immerse your brain in spew and admittedly nears spellbinding in its own sick dinny-metal way, above all else though this just excruciates and exhausts. Not without their riffs or exceptionally vicious vigor but leaves you craving some variety. Endurability past a short while would be nice. Pissgrave, they just try so hard. 5.5/10

Saor - Forgotten Paths

Wish it wasn't as copious on the voiceless patches, plus I do tend to get wary at the implementation of precious piano and predictable posi post-y buildups in my black metal; or most anything for that matter. But its overall mixture of ferocity+epic is difficult to deny -- lush and all-enveloping, massive and roaring, violin+flute straight outta the magic forest, acoustic mattering, windswept mountain-demon growls getting along with softies. The folksy input in particular is pretty top notch, and when this is firing on all cylinders it's truly a beautiful thing. Then for a finale it takes up near 5 out of near 39 total minutes dwelling on crashing waves and elegant bleh. 8/10

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah - Ancestral Recall

Can't escape a sense of major maturation, seems saturated in an artistic and cultural and spiritual awakening -- perhaps bit of an exhausting hour, but tenacity and a guarantee to ascend transcendentally suck you into its universe. As saxer Scott loves to blare but stops short of excessively eccentric; without a doubt tho it's the rhythms that'll transport ya. Percussively weaving organic+electronic that's between being around the fire pit at a tight-knit familial get-together and cranium overload, the crew conveys running beside lions in the jungle to relaxing with snakes on a beach. Not to mention the guitar-looped featherweight hip-hop/soul greatness of "Forevergirl", the solid sometimed spoken word, the ghosts, fever dreams, fantasies. To be both this airy and this assertive is a gift. 8/10

Sir Babygirl - Crush On Me [EP]

Kelsie Hogue's background as hardcore singer and drama student seem collectively imperative to this perfectly preposterous alt-pop phenom -- the piercing punch and musical-esque madness own it. Sangin' unadulterated and forever shocking, hooks+quirks so ecstatic and unparalleled you'd have to be soulless to hate em, vibrancy seemingly stemming from an intravenous thousand volts. Brief reprises help give this EP a rounded flow and much needed calm-downs, and the highs are immediate and humongous: "Heels", "Flirting With Her", "Cheerleader", and "Haunted House" make for one of finest chunks of fire pop in recent memory. Each irresistible not just for their infectiousness and numerous omg components, but for the themes behind em: the flirtation zipping from zeal to real obsession with basic texts leading to horror screams ontop of anxious chatter, the chipper cheerleader chants support for sultry bathroom stall secrets and ruined reputations, the haunted house a house party in which friends are fleeting and drowning in detachment is inescapable and everyone's "20 shots under the sea", "Heels" all tears-n-knives in the dark and the sass of acquiring a new hairdo. By the end she's a non-smoker who smokes too much that manages to muster an alt-rock/big chorus payoff vibe well beyond her years and has this to say about her crush on, yep, herself: "Ummm, we're just gonna ride this one out, we're just gonna see where it takes us." And so we shall. 9.5/10

Sleaford Mods - Eton Alive

Can't call it their definitive best or a first-rate batch of Williamson rant, but as a followup to the last two it's certainly a solid stylistic solidifier. Still sticking so stiffly to such a scant-n-repetitive setup feels like refined defiance at this point; silly inescapable grooves you won't remember tomorrow teetering towards a sort of boundlessness. I.e. if you're down with the aesthetic and they keep sticking to it you could love em forever. And although yellin' and bass-lines and grit will always profile em Punk, I swear these machine-tight throbs and subtle touches got em more techno than ever. 8/10

Sun Kil Moon - I Also Want to Die in New Orleans

I first listened to this new Sun Kil Moon album last week at work, around 9:15 a.m. You see, I start every day at work by listening to a new album I've never listened to. On this day that album was the new Sun Kil Moon. I thought to myself, man, it seems like yesterday I was listening to that last Sun Kil Moon album. It was really about four months ago, but when you hear two separate 90-minute drawls by the same guy four months apart it can feel like the dullest of deja vu. I work in a warehouse. I pick orders, pick up things and put them on pallets, then wrap the pallets up and put them on a truck. I also take pallets with things on them off of trucks, the same way I put them on: with a pallet jack. 

When putting pallets onto trucks, it's important to stack them in particular patterns, otherwise they might shift and fall and get wrecked. One time in 2013 I watched a trucker open the back door of his truck only to have the stuff fall all over him. I never want to be the guy that makes that happen to someone, so I always try to load the pallets properly. But hey I'm sure it's happened to someone whose truck I personally loaded; and whether it was my fault or the driver's abrupt braking/bad driving, wherever you are, that poor guy, I am sooooo sorrrrry.

I thought about texting a friend about how depressed I was about this Sun Kil Moon album, but then I remembered I don't have any friends who have really listened to Sun Kil Moon, they'd probably text something back like "who's Sun Kil Moon?" or "Sun Kil Who?" or "is that the Benji guy?", so I didn't text any friends about this Sun Kil Moon album. After finishing an order I stared out the dock door into the outside world while sipping hot black coffee and eating an overripe Chiquita banana. In the midst of wholesale who-cares and cringey and and well-meaning mutter ramble, he deployed the Obama-deported-people-too argument and it almost made me wish he'd return to how Europeans only wear tight clothes or the time he ate some lamb with salt on it. 

For lunch I took Route 5 to Hazard Avenue and went to a Chipotle, about three miles from where I work. On the drive I was listening to Opeth's 'Orchid', which was a breath of fresh air to my ears after listening to that new Sun Kil Moon. Not that Orchid is my favorite album or anything, I dunno, it was just a breath of fresh air after listening to that fvckin' new Sun Kill Moon. At Chipotle I got a sofritas bowl. I used to get carnitas, but me and my girl went veg recently and the sofritas are pretty good. Along with the sofritas in the bowl I got black beans, brown rice, corn, lettuce, hot salsa, and the guacamole, which costs extra. 

The cashier said "that'll be $9.31" and I handed her a $20 bill. She opened the drawer, put it in, and accidentally shut it before taking the change out. She seemed flustered, and I guess the change amount had disappeared from the screen, so she asked me how much change I should be getting back. I could've told her the truth, I could've lied and said I gave her a hundred so that'll be $90.69 plz. Instead I said, "You want me to count this change? What do I look like, a change counter? You're the cashier and your job is to count the change. I was once a cashier, and I counted change then, but now I work in the warehouse and I don't wanna count any change." She looked pissed but held her tongue, I apologized and told her she owed me $10.69 which was the correct change. She gave me the change and I took my bowl. If I were Mark Kozelek, I might've thought she had a thing for me.

I sat inside the Chipotle and ate my sofritas bowl, thinking about my friends and Obama and that trucker who had the stuff fall over him and my girl. And as I scooped the last bit of beans, the new Sun Kil Moon album came to a close. I reflected briefly, and reckoned my favorite bits might be when he imitates a dog after his butt gets whacked and when he imitates a maid he insulted while punching himself. I took my last bite of the beans, put my plastic fork and empty bowl in the trash, walked to my car, and drove back to work.

Goodnight, 11:48 P.M., March 19th 2019, Easthampton. ~*~meh~*~

Tisakorean - A Guide to Being a Partying Freshman

Most clever line: "12 inches is a feet." Second most clever line: "She got me hard like wood." Stay in school, kids. Or, er, maybe don't. ~*~meh~*~

Tree - We Grown Now.

It says alot about youth's dominant presence in hip-hop when the merely 35-year-old Tree sounds like he's spittin' from a rocker on the front porch and croonin' after a few too many at the VFW -- ODB or Rick Ross's weathered uncle, or Makonnen's wise grandfather perhaps. His dusted soul beats and Chicago crime come-up and god-given gravel voice make him seem worn beyond his years, with a sense of knowingly having missed the stardom-boat for better or worse and craftin' a quality quickie just for kicks when he's not caring for his kids. Only two tunes over three minutes and four under two, sentiments simultaneously offhand, consummate, effortless, broad, heartfelt, awkward. His singing is ludicrously lovable, give it up for sincerity and warbly low registers. Tho I do appreciate that when "No Lies" makes a point to tell no lies, it's pretty plainly spoken: "I did drop out of school / I smoke weed and cigarettes every day / I'm 35 years old / Epic did sign Bobby Shmurda over me", "I may never do a show again / I hate being famous / I hate it", "I've never been faithful / My sons love me". 8/10

Veldes - Flameless

Seldom should black metal of any breed sound so, er, flameless. Not that its sheen ain't regularly pretty-n-pummeling or he don't bring the overall genre-given goodz; albeit in his overly automated and rather boilerplate way. But this is precise to the point of lassitude, predictable and calculated to a languid fault. Tries so earnestly to be epic but is oft too restrained+rigorous to bear real vigor or emotion. It does get me groanin' during both soft and loud stuff though, so there's that. Perhaps I'd prefer an abyss. 5.5/10

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(Sandy) Alex G - House of Sugar 7/10

100 Gecs - 1000 Gecs 7.5/10

21 Savage - i am > i was 6/10

3776 - SAIJIKI 8/10

Adiel - Musicofilia [EP] 6.5/10

American Pleasure Club - Fucking Bliss 5.5/10

Amon Amarth - Berserker 5/10

Amyl and the Sniffers - Amyl and the Sniffers 6.5/10

An Isolated Mind - I'm Losing Myself 6.5/10

And The Kids - When This Life is Over 7/10

Angel Du$t - Pretty Buff 6/10

Anz - Spring/Summer Dubs 2019 7.5/10

Asagraum - Dawn of Infinite Fire 7/10

Caterina Barbieri - Ecstatic Computation 8/10

Barker - Utility 6/10

Baroness - Gold & Grey 5.5/10

Bent Knee - You Know What They Mean 6/10

Big Thief - U.F.O.F. 9/10

Big Thief - Two Hands 8/10

Black Dresses - Love and Affection For Stupid Little Bitches 7/10

Black Midi - Schlagenheim 6.5/10

Bleached - Don't You Think You've Had Enough? 7/10

BLOOD INCANTATION - HIDDEN HISTORY OF THE HUMAN RACE 7.5/10

Cate Le Bon - Reward 8/10

Bon Iver - i,i 6.5/10

Boogie - Everything's For Sale 6.5/10

Boris - Love & Evol 7/10

Brockhampton - Ginger 6.5/10

DANNY BROWN - UKNOWHATIMSAYIN¿ 7.5/10

BTS - Map of the Soul: Persona [EP] 5.5/10

BURIAL - TUNES 2011-2019 8.5/10

ALEX CAMERON - MIAMI MEMORY 7.5/10

Central - Om Dans 5.5/10

Cerbral Rot - Descent Into Odious Decay 6.5/10

Chai - Punk 6/10

Chance The Rapper - The Big Day 6/10

Chants - Seven Spheres 7/10

CHARLI XCX - CHARLI 8/10

Charly Bliss - Young Enough 8/10

Club Night - What Life 7/10

COMPLETE WALKTHRU - SCROLLS 7.5/10
Control Top - Covert Contracts 8.5/10

Croatian Amor - Isa 7/10

Denzel Curry - Zuu [EP] 8/10

Ami Dang - Parted Plains 5.5/10

Richard Dawson - 2020 6.5/10

Deerhunter - Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared? 6/10

Default Genders - Main Pop Girl 2019 7/10

The Deontic Miracle - Selections From 100 Models of Hegikan Roku 7/10

Katie Dey - Solipsisters 8/10

DJ HARAM - GRACE [EP] 7.5/10

DORIAN ELECTRA - FLAMBOYANT 8.5/10

Dragonforce - Extreme Power Metal 5/10

Duke - Uingizaji Hewa 6.5/10

Empath - Active Listening: Night on Earth 5.5/10

Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow 6.5/10

Ex Hex - It's Real 5/10

Facs - Lifelike [EP] 5.5/10

False - Portent 7/10

Fennesz - Agora 7/10

Fire-Toolz - Field Whispers (Into the Crystal Palace) 6.5/10

FKA TWIGS - MAGDALENE 8/10

FLATY - GENERIC TARGZ 7.5/10

FLORIST - EMILY ALONE 8/10

Flying Lotus - Flamagra 5/10

Full Of Hell - Weeping Choir 7/10

Ezra Furman - Twelve Nudes 5.5/10

Future - Future Hndrxx Presents: The WIZRD 5/10

Georgia - Time 7.5/10

The Get Up Kids - Problems 7/10

Ghostie - Poltergeist Slim 6.5/10

FREDDIE GIBBS & MADLIB - BANDANA 8/10

Girl Band - The Talkies ~*~meh~*~

Glass Beach - The First Glass Beach Album ~*~meh~*~

KIM GORDON - NO HOME RECORD 8.5/10

Gurr - She Says [EP] 7/10

Hatchie - Keepsake 6.5/10

Hath - Of Rot and Ruin 8/10

Helado Negro - This is How You Smile 6/10

Helm - Chemical Flowers 7.5/10

THE HIGHWOMEN - THE HIGHWOMEN 8/10

Hobo Johnson - The Fall of Hobo Johnson ~*~meh~*~

Holly Herndon - Proto 8/10

Brittany Howard - Jaime 6.5/10

Injury Reserve - Injury Reserve 7/10

Inter Arma - Sulphur English 8/10

Jay Som - Anak Ko 5.5/10

Carly Rae Jepsen - Dedicated 7/10

Joni Void - Mise en Abyme 6.5/10

JPEGMafia - All My Heroes Are Cornballs 6/10

Damien Jurado - In the Shape of a Storm 7/10

Karenn - Kind of Green [EP] 7.5/10

Karenn - Grapefruit Regret 7/10

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - Fishing For Fishies 7.5/10

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - Infest the Rats' Nest 7.5/10

NINA KRAVIZ - STRANNO STRANNO. NEOBJATNO. [EP] 7.5/10

Ladytron - Ladytron 6.5/10

Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell! 6.5/10

Le Butcherettes - bi/MENTAL 7/10

Lee Gamble - In a Paraventral Scale [EP] 5/10

Steve Lehman - The People I Love 5.5/10

Leif - Loom Dream 6/10

Lightning Bolt - Sonic Citadel 7/10

Lil Nas X - 7 [EP] 5.5/10

LINGUA IGNOTA - CALIGULA 9/10

Little Simz - Grey Area 7/10

LITURGY - H.A.Q.Q. 8/10

Kedr Livanskiy - Your Need 6/10

LIZZO - CUZ I LOVE YOU 8.5/10

LOFT - Ell Oh Eff Tea Too Oh Won Ate 5.5/10

Lower Dens - The Competition 6.5/10

Lurka - Stay Let's Together [EP] 7/10

Kali Malone - The Sacrificial Code 6/10

Mannequin Pussy - Patience 8/10

Matryrdod - Hexhammaren 6/10

MAXO KREAM - BRANDON BANKS 7.5/10

Mega Bog - Dolphine 6/10

MIKE - Tears of Joy ~*~meh~*~

MISTER LIES - MISTER LIES 7.5/10

MODERN NATURE - HOW TO LIVE 8/10

Mount Eerie - Lost Wisdom, pt. 2 6/10

Ni - Pantophobie 7/10

Noisem - Cease to Exist 7/10

Nonlocal Forecast - Bubble Universe! 6/10

OCTO OCTA - RESONANT BODY 8/10

ANGEL OLSEN - ALL MIRRORS 7.5/10

Opeth - In Cauda Venenum ~*~meh~*~

Oso Oso - Basking in the Glow 7/10

Otoboke Beaver - Itekoma Hits 8.5/10

Pacific Yew - (((( Maidenhair )))) 5.5/10

THE PARANOID STYLE - A GODDAMN IMPOSSIBLE WAY OF LIFE 8/10

Pelada - Movimiento Para Cambio 6/10

Lee "Scratch" Perry - Rainford 8/10

KIM PETRAS - CLARITY 8/10

Pharmakon - Devour 7/10

Pivot Gang - You Can't Sit With Us 8/10

Caroline Polachek - Pang 7/10

Polo G - Die a Legend 6.5/10

Portrayal of Guilt - Suffering is a Gift [EP] 6/10

Post Malone - Hollywood's Bleeding 5/10

Jessica Pratt - Quiet Signs 5.5/10

Priests - The Seduction of Kansas 6/10

PURPLE MOUNTAINS - PURPLE MOUNTAINS 9/10

Purple Pilgrims - Perfumed Earth 6/10

Quelle Chris - Guns 6.5/10

Bogdan Racyznski - Rave 'Till You Cry 6.5/10

RAP - Export 5.5/10

RAPSODY - EVE 8/10

Redbait - Cages [EP] 5.5/10

Rico Nasty & Kenny Beats - Anger Management [EP] 6.5/10

Joel Ross - KingMaker 5.5/10

Sacred Paws - Run Around the Sun 8/10

SAINT JHN - GHETTO LENNY'S LOVE SONGS 7.5/10

Schoolboy Q - Crash Talk 5.5/10

SeeYouSpaceCowboy… - Songs For the Firing Squad 7/10

Ty Segall - First Taste 6.5/10

SHEER MAG - A DISTANT CALL 8/10

Sturgill Simpson - Sound & Fury 6.5/10

Sinmara - Hvísl Stjarnanna 6.5/10

Sleater-Kinney - The Center Won't Hold 5.5/10

Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind 6/10

Elza Soares - Planeta Fome 7/10

Soen - Lotus ~*~meh~*~

Soilwork - Verkligheten 7/10

Solange - When I Get Home 6.5/10

SØS Gunver Ryberg - Entangled 6.5/10

Special Request - Vortex 6.5/10

Bruce Springsteen - Western Stars 7.5/10

State Faults - Clairvoyant 8/10

Stenny - Stress Test [EP] 6.5/10

Suldusk - Lunar Falls 7/10

Sunn O))) - Life Metal ~*~meh~*~

Sunwatchers - Illegal Moves 7/10

Swans - Leaving Meaning 6.5/10

Taylor Swift - Lover 7/10

Tomb Mold - Planetary Clairvoyance 6/10

Tool - Fear Inoculum ~*~meh~*~

TROPICAL FUCK STORM - BRAINDROPS 7.5/10

Trupa Trupa - Of the Sun 6/10

Two People - First Body 6.5/10

William Tyler - Goes West 5.5/10

Tyler, the Creator - Igor 6.5/10

Uboa - The Origin of My Depression 7/10

Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride 7.5/10

Adia Victoria - Silences 6/10

W00DY - MY DIARY [EP] 8/10
Weeping Icon - Weeping Icon 6/10

Weezer - Weezer (The Black Album) ~*~meh~*~

Kanye West - Jesus is King 5.5/10

Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising 7/10

Whitney - Forever Turned Around 6/10

Wilco - Ode to Joy 5.5/10

Chelsea Wolfe - Birth of Violence 6/10

Jamila Woods - Legacy! Legacy! 7.5/10

Wreck and Reference - Absolute Still Life 5/10

Nilufer Yanya - Miss Universe 6.5/10

YG - 4Real 4Real ~*~meh~*~

YOUNG THUG - SO MUCH FUN 8/10

Your Old Droog - It Wasn't Even Close 6/10