album reviews
Reviews of albums old and new from iconic artists and up and coming musicians alike.
Rostro del Sol - Rostrol del Sol
Becoming kissed by the sun can leave one delirious, left in a daze fuelled by a dizzying olfactory concoction of melting tarmac and flora in full bloom. A state of wandering intoxication heightened by the alarming midday heat unveils a nonsensical universe of curiously bizarre organisms; wandering in plain sight hidden only by sobriety's sheltering lucidity, a veil now burnt to a crisp, their resemblance to the conscious world is familiar yet somehow tenuous: something feels remarkably unusual in this place, these creatures feel different to the touch - fuzzier, more colourful - and their stare comes from somewhere other than their eyes. Are these their truest incarnations, or just playful trickery inflicted upon our perception? There's no real danger in finding out for yourself but luckily there exists a pathway without incurring heat stroke: found within the frenzied jive of Rostro del Sol's equally sun-drenched frequencies, theirs is a jubilant highway of sound unlike any you'll ever traverse within three lifetimes.
By JC Cansdale-Cook6 years ago in Beat
Sonic Flower - Sonic Flower + Rides Again
It's a psychedelic boogie showtime! Shaking down in the vaults for nigh on 16 years would test the mettle of even the hardiest of tunes, for being bereft of sunlight and outside company does peculiar things to wildly free minds. But with just one listen to the jams kicking down these solid doors it is clear they've been the soundtrack to their own eclectic shindig as carefree and as out of their minds as before those same doors were bolted shut. Who the hell knows just what kind of kaleidoscopic and epileptic light shows jived to the crazed, tripped-out ideas birthed from Tatsu Mikami's warped brain, waiting to ensnare any passers-by in their mind-bending exhibition! Now that these tunes have finally been let loose unto an unsuspecting public, they are free to join their brethren in Sonic Flower and morphing the humdrum of any night into one scorching psych-fuelled freak-out as they Ride Again! Sonic Flower are back baby!
By JC Cansdale-Cook6 years ago in Beat
Miss Lava - Doom Machine
Primordial once were the forces commandeering this planetary body, a chaotic governance of fire, of magma, of thunder and of lightning. A swirling ball of turbulence and darkness for aeons, it would take millenia for a recognizable if not continually changing view to form where we now call home. Much like our rampant geological history, Miss Lava's sprawling journey to the present has been an explosive one, filled with a fervent, raucous energy much akin to the genre godfathers, dominated by a driven electricity surging from their fingertips deep into our auditory canals; theirs has been a sound ejected from stacks to keep the huddled masses in an endless dance, firing grooves out of all cylinders with bombastic force. But ever since 2016's Sonic Debris the Portuguese powerhouse have pursued bigger and bolder visions, channeling a gaseous resonance pulsing from the depths waiting for just one spark near the surface. As a result, what you hear on Doom Machine is not simply just more voluminous or expansive: these are tones so dense and fluid they flood the senses, dragging you down towards a world of everlasting love by the feet.
By JC Cansdale-Cook6 years ago in Beat
Which Lana Del Rey album reigns supreme?
There is not long to go until the release of Chemtrails over the Country Club, Lana Del Rey's seventh studio album which is due in March 2021. Del Rey has wowed with an impressive album discography that has her fans wowed in droves, but also drawing in a new league of fans through her impact in mainstream pop, most recently alongside Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande in the Charlie's Angels soundtrack. Lana Del Rey exudes a vulnerability in her songs with a theme around the sad cost of heartbreak, often masked by the promise of renewed vigour and a future unproblematic love. Her album records will be analysed and ranked below, with the exception of her debut album Lana Del Ray, her EP Paradise and her vocal album Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass. I also have to add that as a major fanatic of her work, it was extremely difficult for me to rank her albums, because they all form a part of her truly unique story.
By Elijah Simons6 years ago in Beat
Bobby - ‘LUCKY MAN’ Album Review
In many ways, 2017’s Love and Fall should have been a catalyst for greater solo success for iKON’s Bobby. A former winner of the famous Show Me The Money television show - and the only K-Pop idol victor in the rap competition’s run thus far - his floaty, highly accessible full-length debut was never going to be perfect, but it still showcased the young rapper in a broader, more sonically refined space. However, opportunities were seldom afforded to the Korean star in the time that followed the release, seemingly unfairly sidelining the upstart, and potentially stunting his growth too.
By Nathan Sartain6 years ago in Beat
Beyoncé Albums Ranked
Beyoncé has been in the spotlight at a young age. There’s not many people who don’t know who she is. Weather you know her as one third/quarter of Destiny’s Child, an actress, wife of Jay-Z, fashion designer or as a singer. Either way, you will see Beyoncé use the theme of female empowerment in everything she does. Whatever she does, she always takes the lead. She’s no stranger to controversy, but she seems to embrace it.
By Chloe Gilholy6 years ago in Beat
An Exploration of Evermore by Taylor Swift
In 2020, Folklore released on the 24th July was the top-selling album in America with approximately 1.2 million copies sold beating Map of the Soul released by South Korean boy band, BTS, on the 21st February which sold approximately 674,000 copies. An even more impressive feat is that Evermore was the tenth best-selling album of the year, with 283,000 copies sold even though it was released on 11th December.
By Eliza Wright6 years ago in Beat
Epik High - ‘Epik High Is Here (Part 1)’ Album Review
2019’s Sleepless in __________ was a decisive return to independence for the Korean hip-hop trio Epik High. Across the seven-track EP there was a pronounced thematic tact, and a congruent narrative theme which allowed for the veterans to flex their songwriting chops in a broad space. Now, though, it’s time for their first full-length venture since leaving the shackles of a major label. Titled Epik High Is Here, the two-part album seeks to further explore the human condition and, if its first instalment is anything to go by, successfully does just that with a slew of substance.
By Nathan Sartain6 years ago in Beat
Albums I like Critics Hated
Sweet 7 - Sugababes The album deserved to be panned for terrible lyrics, auto-tune-happy-overproduction and offering no originality. It’s true that the album lacks identity and is out of place in Sugababes’ discography. What wasn’t okay was how the girls in the group Were treated. I am still fond of the album, even though I know it’s not their best work. About a Girl, No More You and Little Miss Perfect were nice tracks. I don’t like Get Sexy or Wear My Kiss anymore. It used to be a fun album to listen to, but as my taste in music has changed I don’t care about it as much as I used to. I still kinda like it though.
By Chloe Gilholy6 years ago in Beat
Playboi Carti’s “Whole Lotta Red” Album Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Whole Lotta Red marks a new era for Playboi Carti, and it seems to be a lot more than just an album. He’s become somewhat unrecognizable from the artist he was when he released his first, self-titled record, “Playboi Carti”, dawning a more punk look, which he’s said is inspired by the cult classic movie “The Lost Boys”. Him dawning this new look for Whole Lotta Red makes the album feel a lot more put together, like everything is deliberate. It even goes as far as the way he types out his tweets.
By Arian Gloryanni6 years ago in Beat
