By Maria Lubanovic, [Sister Polygon Records; 2019] Rating: 7.5/10 Key tracks: “The Seduction of Kansas”, “Good Time Charlie”, “Carol” Priests bring political power through twisted narrative lyrics and driving soundscapes, making their second LP on Sister Polygon, The Seduction of Kansas, a showcase of punk ideology and dirty rock riffs. Questions of bodily autonomy, motivation,…
Tag: Album Review
Album Review: Billie Eilish – WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?
By Marvin Dotiyal, Features Editor [Darkroom/Interscope; 2019] Rating: 7.5/10 Key tracks: “xanny”, “you should see me in a crown”, “listen before i go” When Finneas O’Connell first wrote “Ocean Eyes” for his band The Slightlys, the future of the song was beyond the scope of his expectations. It was when his younger sister breathed life…
Album Review: Wallows – Nothing Happens
By Kwase Lane, Staff Writer [Atlantic; 2019] Rating: 7.5/10 Key tracks: “Are You Bored Yet?”, “Scrawny”, “Ice Cold Pool” On their debut album, Nothing Happens, Wallows dyes their colorful, upbeat instrumentation a dark gray with their moody vocals. The project is filled with songs that make for excellent background music, but it rewards close listeners…
Album Review: Lena Raine – One Knowing
By Kiah Easton, Staff Writer [Self-released; 2019] Rating: 7/10 Key tracks: “Tsukuyomi”,”Insomnia”, “Trance State” After widespread critical acclaim from her release Celeste OST, Lena Raine has used her momentum to release a debut album, One Knowing, that stands alone as a sonic experience, unaccompanied by partnered media. While the OST for Celeste is a perfectly tailored…
Album Review: American Football – American Football (LP3)
By Lane Moore, Reviews Editor [Polyvinyl; 2019] Rating: 8/10 Key tracks: “Silhouettes”, “Heir Apparent”, “Mine to Miss” Like a half-conjured memory, one that might’ve been a dream, American Football’s third self-titled record begins with an ambiance that immediately sets it apart from the band’s previous work. American Football’s 1999 self-titled debut record focuses on the…
Album Review: Avey Tare – Cows on Hourglass Pond
By Kiah Easton, Staff Writer [Domino; 2019] Rating: 7/10 Key tracks: “What’s The Goodside?”, “Eyes On Eyes”, “HORS_” David Portner of Avey Tare, most popularly known for co-founding Animal Collective, released a new, full-length project entitled Cows on Hourglass Pond. Clearly a driving force within Animal Collective, this project reminisces his softer, narrative tracks within…
Album Review: The Japanese House – Good At Falling
By Kayla Chanthavong, Contributor [Dirty Hit; 2019] Rating: 6/10 Key tracks: “Maybe You’re the Reason”, “Follow My Girl”, “Worms” British solo artist and indie pop icon Amber Bain, also known as The Japanese House, follows her experience with life-changing events by releasing Good At Falling, her first full-length album. This time around, Bain gives us more…
Album Review: Marianas Trench – Phantoms
By Kayla Chanthavong, Contributor [604; 2019] Rating: 7.5/10 Key tracks: “Echoes Of You”, “I Knew You When”, “The Killing Kind” Three years after the release of Astoria, Marianas Trench grace us with another full-length album, Phantoms. Before this album release, they teased us with three singles: “Echoes of You”, “I Knew You When”, and “Only…
Album Review: Weezer – Weezer (Black Album)
By Maria Lubanovic, Copy Editor [Crush Music / Atlantic; 2019] Rating: 4/10 Key tracks: “Piece of Cake”, “Byzantine” Weezer already dropped an album less than two months ago. So, why is there suddenly another one? Does Rivers Cuomo have literally nothing better to do than crank out pure cheese and not the kind that anyone…
Album Review: Solange – When I Get Home
By Kwase Lane, Staff Writer [Columbia; 2019] Rating: 5/10 Key tracks: “Stay Flo”, “Almeda”, “My Skin My Logo” On When I Get Home, the listener finds Solange in a peculiar position. Her fourth studio album, Solange embarks on a new path, one more stripped back than she previously explored on her earlier project, A Seat…
Album Review: Emilie Kahn – Outro
When thinking about the realms and possibilities of pop, indie and even alternative music, the harp is not traditionally considered a regular choice in the ensemble. Fortunately, there is someone out there looking outside of this box, bringing a unique sound to the genre. Formerly known as Emilie and Ogden, Emilie Kahn’s Outro is a gorgeous collection of tracks that masterfully combines the light themes of a harp with hard-hitting synth and breathy tones.
Album Review: Lil Pump – Harverd Dropout
By Kwase Lane, Staff Writer [Warner Bros.; 2019] Rating: 3/10 Key tracks: “I Love It”, “Off White”, “Vroom Vroom Vroom” In his sophomore album, Harverd Dropout, Lil Pump shows how far he can fall as an artist. Most of the tracks on this project find Lil Pump lacking his signature bombastic energy that brought him…
