Table of Contents:
- Beastie Boys – Music
- Charli xcx – how i’m feeling now
- Deftones – Ohms
- Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia
- The Flaming Lips – American Head
- Freddie Gibbs & the Alchemist – Alfredo
- Hayley Williams – Petals for Armor
- The Killers – Imploding the Mirage
- Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts V: Together
- Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts VI: Locusts
- Pearl Jam – Gigaton
- Playboi Carti – Whole Lotta Red
- Run the Jewels – RTJ4
- The Smashing Pumpkins – CYR
- The Strokes – The New Abnormal
- Tame Impala – The Slow Rush
- The White Stripes – Greatest Hits
Beastie Boys – Music
Beastie Boys release a full-career retrospective.
While Music is pretty much an updated version of 2005’s Solid Gold Hits (which is now pretty much redundant), it includes five more songs and encompasses the band’s entire discography, from 1986’s Licensed to Ill up until 2011’s Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 (excluding the instrumental album, The Mix-Up).
Compared to Solid Gold Hits, Triple Trouble and An Open Letter to NYC have been axed, with Ch-Check It Out being the only song from To the 5 Boroughs to make the cut. Paul Revere and Hold It, Now Hit It have been added, bringing the total of Licensed to Ill tracks up to five (or a quarter of this compilation) and considering how full of hits that album is, along with its influence on the hip-hop genre, I’d say that these inclusions are just. Other additions include Shadrach (Paul’s Boutique), Get It Together (Ill Communication) and the rare single version of Jimmy James, with the Hendrix samples and all. Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 (which came out after Solid Gold Hits) is represented by Make Some Noise and the Santigold-featuring Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win (though no Lee Majors Come Again or Too Many Rappers here).
Music isn’t a perfect retrospective, but it does what it can with a single disc’s runtime, and it is far more comprehensive than Solid Gold Hits was, with a longer, more fleshed-out tracklist and songs from the band’s entire career.
9/10
Charli xcx – how i’m feeling now
Charli makes a DIY pandemic album.
Recorded in a matter of weeks during Covid lockdown, how i’m feeling now was a reflection of the times we were living in during the pandemic. The album was made with input from both fans and producers, providing Charli with some contact with the outside world during the lonesome writing and recording sessions.
pink diamond and its industrial synths start off the album in a surprisingly heavy fashion, but then again, Charli is known for experimenting and pushing boundaries more than most pop stars are willing to. forever is a romantic ear-worm that burrows itself deep into your brain. claws would be annoying if anyone else made it, but Charli has become a master of taste and does all the right things to make it work. enemy sounds like it belongs in a John Hughes film from the 80s. i finally understand is one of Charli’s best songs yet, with its bouncy synth riff. c2.0 is a remake of Click, from Charli’s 2019 self-titled album and is superior to that version. anthem is ripe for raves, which was where Charli got her wings. The final track, visions, starts off innocuously enough, but then it ends with chaotic synths, reminiscent of the first track, and could be mistaken for something by an Aphex Twin or Daft Punk.
This is pop music with an experimental edge and goes to show that Charli xcx can blend pop and experimentalism better than any of her contemporaries. If only all pop stars had these kind of cojones, then I wouldn’t be so critical about the usually bland and restrictive genre.
10/10
Deftones – Ohms
Deftones gets really heavy again.
Deftones found their footing again after the loss of bassist Chi Cheng, rising from the ashes with the brilliant one-two of Diamond Eyes and Koi No Yokan in the early 2010s. Then, the band (relatively) fumbled on the less than adored Gore, which although underrated, was seen as a step down from the heights of its predecessors two predecessors. Guitarist Stephen Carpenter and singer Chino Moreno were at odds, which resulted in a lighter than usual affair, along with production that didn’t pack the usual punch.
This time, Stephen Carpenter’s presence is easily felt. Ohms is perhaps the heaviest the band has sounded since their eponymous album, which can be attributed in part to Terry Date returning as producer (he produced the band’s first four albums), but that’s not to say the album is all loud noise, as their is still plenty of ambience and texture.
Genesis sets the tone with a near minute long synth intro, before pummelling power chords come in. Ceremony and Urantia are both powered by groovy verses and strong choruses. Error is sexy and dissonant. The ending of The Spell of Mathematics is a slow release of tension. Pompeji is the resident pretty song on the album (i.e. Teenager, Cherry Waves, Sextape) and has an ambient synthesizer outro. This Link Is Dead is one of the heaviest tracks here, with the band only hardened with time. Radiant City absolutely shreds. Headless blends heavy guitars and dreamy atmospherics (pretty much Deftones M.O.). The title track has one of Carpenter’s best riffs. Chino Moreno sounds blissful as always throughout all of Ohms.
Deftones continue to age like wine, as evident by such a strong album 25 years into their career. Nu metal may have fizzled out long ago, but Deftones will live on forever.
10/10
Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia
Dua Lipa starts the decade off with a blockbuster nu-disco album.
After making a name for herself with her 2017 self-titled debut album, British singer Dua Lipa was on the track to become the next big global pop star. On Future Nostalgia, she hones her craft further with this collection of nu disco and pop.
The funky title track acts as a mission statement for both Dua Lipa and the album, with the rest of the tracks proving her pop prowess and powerful pipes. Don’t Start Now, Physical, Levitating and Break My Heart were all inescapable hits that will probably be played for years to come, whether its on the way to work or at the nightclub.
I’m not usually a pop guy (though I love me some Charli xcx), but Future Nostalgia was too big and too good to avoid talking about, with immaculate production, catchy hooks, and a plethora of confidence and sexiness.
8/10
The Flaming Lips – American Head
Wayne Coyne reminisces about growing up in America.
On The Flaming Lips’ 16th album, which arrived only one year after 2019’s Mick Jones-narrated concept album, King’s Mouth: Music and Songs, frontman/vocalist Wayne Coyne revisits his past, focusing on his upbringing in 1970s America, though shades of nostalgia and pain.
Will You Return / When You Come Down is one of the band’s best openers since the 2000s. Several songs recall Coyne’s early experiences taking drugs with his older brothers, such as Mother I’ve Taken LSD, At the Movies on Quaaludes and You and Me Sellin’ Weed. Watching the Lightbugs Glow and God and the Policeman are both notable for featuring vocals from Kacey Musgraves.
American Head is perhaps The Flaming Lips’ most grounded and organic-sounding record, foregoing much of the musical darkness of their past several works. The record exhibits plenty of piano and acoustic guitars, and the entire vibe of the record gives it a unique place in the band’s discography. It’s not as groundbreaking or innovative like The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots were, but it’s an exceptional record for having been released 30+ years into the band’s career.
8/10
Freddie Gibbs & the Alchemist – Alfredo
Freddie Gibbs x The Alchemist.
After having previously collaborated in the past, most notably as a trio with rapper Currensy on Fetti, Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist were back at it only two years later with an album every bit as fantastic as that album or Gibbs’ previous Madlib collabs.
1985 opens the album up with a soulful electric guitar sample. Rick Ross makes an appearance on the classy Star Trek-referencing, Scottie Beam. Tyler the Creator has a killer feature on Something to Rap About. Freddie Gibbs’ bars are fantastic as always, as is The Alchemist’s retro production, which gives the album a vintage, Tarantino-esque vibe.
Alfredo is one of the best hip-hop collaborations in recent years, with an iconic cover to match.
9/10
Hayley Williams – Petals for Armor
Hayley Williams releases her solo debut album.
Despite Paramore finally reaching some semblance of inner-band harmony with the After Laughter era lineup of the band (every album has had a different line-up from the last), Hayley Williams still needed a break from her main act and from the constant touring. While Paramore was still active and on good terms with each other, a solo album would allow a chance for Williams to be more vulnerable, more experimental and more free, having no one to answer to but herself.
Originally released as three separate EPs with five songs each, Petals for Armor was eventually released as one whole album. Lead single and opener Simmer displays a much different sound from Hayley Williams than what we’ve ever come to expect from the already dynamic Paramore. Cinnamon sounds like something careless and fun that St. Vincent might have made around 2014. Sudden Desire has some hints of Bjork-like singing and electronica in its chorus.
One of Petals For Armor‘s greatest strengths is that it really doesn’t sound like a Paramore album at all, but is still very much Hayley Williams. There are virtually no traces of punk or emo, and even Paramore’s more recent new wave influences haven’t seeped into this album too much. Instead, the sound is very much its own thing, more along the lines of an R&B-influenced 80s art pop sound.
On Petals for Armor, Hayley Williams has proved that even without Paramore, she is still an artistic force to be reckoned with.
7.5/10
The Killers – Imploding the Mirage
The Killers drop an optimistic album during the pandemic.
Following the lukewarm reception of 2017’s Wonderful Wonderful, Imploding the Mirage finds the Las Vegas band back on the horse, though there is still a long way to go.
My Own Soul’s Warning sounds like a Bruce Springsteen track (an artist that frontman Brandon Flowers blatantly wears on his sleeve), but is still one of the band’s best songs in years. Caution includes a guitar solo from Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham. Dying Breed samples the drums from CAN’s Moonshake. K.D. Lang features on Lightning Fields and Weyes Blood appears on the triumphant My God.
Overall, it’s not quite a comeback album, but Imploding The Mirage is much more inspired than the band’s past three albums and has the band feeling their most focused in ages.
7/10
Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts V: Together
NIN drops Ghosts V and VI for free amidst the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Released for free alongside Ghosts VI: Locusts at the start of the international COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, this collection of ambient music should hopefully give some optimism and hope to listeners during this tumultuous time.
Compared to 2008’s Ghosts I-IV, Ghosts V: Together is pretty much all just sonic soundscapes, with little of it sounding like classic NIN. I’ve never been too keen on ambient music, as I don’t quite have the attention-span to listen to it, but I can see this being pleasant as a film score, for studying or while getting a massage.
7/10
Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts VI: Locusts
NIN drops Ghosts V and VI for free amidst the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Released for free alongside Ghosts V: Together at the start of the international COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, this collection of ambient music is more eerie than the optimistic music found on Ghosts V, reflecting the uncertainty of the pandemic and the state of the world.
As I stated in my Ghosts V review, I’ve never been too keen on ambient music, as I don’t quite have the attention-span to listen to it, but music like this is perfect for background music. It’s all well made, just a little boring compared to a more conventional NIN record.
7/10
Pearl Jam – Gigaton
Pearl Jam makes their worst album yet.
Arriving 7 years after their last album (the longest wait between albums yet), Gigaton sees Pearl Jam back with diminishing returns on what’s easily their worst album yet.
Who Ever Said is a forgettable opener — gone are the days of PJ openers like Once, Go and Last Exit. The band tries something new on songs like Dance of The Clairvoyants by adding synths, but it doesn’t quite fit their meat n’ potatoes rock style. Superblood Wolfmoon is pretty embarrassing and one of the worst songs they’ve ever made. The rest of the songs are a boring slog, guaranteed to put you to sleep.
Was Gigaton worth waiting 7 years for? Absolutely not.
4/10
Playboi Carti – Whole Lotta Red
Playboi Carti releases his sophomore album on Christmas.
Much like on his debut album, Die Lit, Playboi Carti is an acquired taste and I’m still not fully won over yet — he’s got a fairly grating rap style and his use of autotune doesn’t compliment his voice the way it does for, say, Kanye West or Charli xcx, and it only really exposes his rather weak and limited vocal abilities. Carti isn’t a master wordsmith either, so there isn’t much going on with his penmanship to compensate, though he clearly has the confidence and ego for the role. I suppose not every rapper needs to be a Shakespeare, and I try to be fair, so there is still plenty to indulge in here in terms of the sonics, as the production is quite fun.
The only features on the album are Kanye West on Go2DaMoon (a highlight), Kid Cudi on M3tamorphosis and Future on Teen X and that brings me to a glaring issue with this album: it’s a ghost town. Whole Lotta Red has a whole lotta tracks with no one on them but Carti, and at 24 tracks, its hard to ignore, especially when he starts to get annoying to listen to towards the end of a full listen. Many rappers could carry an entire album without any features, but I think this album could have benefited from some more of them.
I still think that there are some interesting songs on Whole Lotta Red in terms of production and I try to be fair in my assessments, but I’m just not fully sold on the main artist, though the production sells it for me.
7/10
Run the Jewels – RTJ4
RTJ makes their most political album yet.
After pumping out the first three critically acclaimed Run the Jewels albums between 2013-2016, the duo took a longer than usual break, not returning again until 2020, when America was in shambles. There was the Covid pandemic, the George Floyd incident and the imminent presidential election —suffice to say, El-P and Killer Mike had a lot to say.
On yankee and the brave (ep. 4) , RTJ is back at it like a crack addict, attacking the listener with visceral, pounding bass. ooh la la makes creative use of a sample from a line from a Gang Starr song, showing how creative sampling can be when you aren’t being lazy. out of sight is a whole lotta fun. holy calamafuck and goonies vs. E.T. are two of the bands most experimental tracks so far, showcasing the brilliant production work of El-P. the ground below samples Gang of Four’s Ether, and will hopefully lead listeners to their classic 1979 album Entertainment! Rage Against the Machine’s Zach de la Rocha appears on JU$T, making for his third appearance on a Run the Jewels album. Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age also features on pulling the pin, alongside Mavis Staples.
This album might just be even better than Run the Jewels 2 or at least on par with it.
10/10
The Smashing Pumpkins – CYR
The Smashing Pumpkins release a double album of synth-slop.
Following Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun. (a contender for most pretentious album title of all time), the album that saw the reunion of Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin and James Iha, comes an abandonment of everything from that album and an embrace of some of the worst synthpop you’ll ever hear.
Some twenty odd years ago, The Smashing Pumpkins had already taken a left-turn into synthpop territory with 1998’s Adore, an album that while bold, was ultimately a step down from the band’s first three albums. It did contain classics like Ava Adore and Perfect, but wasn’t as successful of a reinvention as say, KID A was for Radiohead, then in the early 2010s, Billy Corgan began to incorporate synthesizers into Smashing Pumpkins’ music again (with mixed results). This time around, things fare even worse, as most of these songs here sound like cheesy 80s synthpop from someone who just discovered what a synthesizer is.
For some reason, Billy Corgan’s preferences for synthesizers is terrible, with him always opting for the corniest, most dated sounding synthesizers he can get his hands on. It actually sounds like he is just hitting play on all of his keyboard’s presets. For comparison, listen to something like Tame Impala’s Currents, a 2015 album that prominently uses synthesizers that sound absolutely mesmerizing and addictive. Now go and listen to CYR — one album sounds fresh and futuristic and the latter sounds like something that would have sounded dated 40+ years ago.
And when the songs don’t sound outdated, they are hindered by Corgan’s voice, which has aged like milk. Even in the band’s prime, Billy Corgan’s voice was an acquired taste, but it had character and fit the music, but here, he just feels out of his element and often sounds like he is on the verge of losing his voice, as if he was shouting at a concert the night before the recording sessions. Is Billy surrounded by yes men who are too afraid to tell him that his singing sounds like complete shit or does he just ignore their advice?
Billy Corgan was able to keep most of the original Smashing Pumpkins line-up together for a second album and this is what he chooses to do? You have Jimmy fucking Chamberlin and you use drum machines for most of the album? There’s also just simply too much music here and it’s not engaging or interesting enough to warrant one’s attention for 80 minutes, nor do Billy Corgan’s vocals sound pleasant whatsoever. Do yourself a favour and steer clear of CYR, which is one of the worst albums of the year.
3/10
The Strokes – The New Abnormal
The Strokes win critical acclaim for the first time in over 15 years.
Other than a four song EP in 2016, The Strokes hadn’t released a proper album since 2013’s Comedown Machine, which many fans were disappointed with (though it’s definitely underrated). And before that album, the previous two records were also seen as disappointments when compared to their landmark debut, Is This It and its nearly-as-good follow up, Room on Fire. By the mid 2010’s, vocalist Julian Casablancas had started another band called The Voidz and released two albums that garnered much better reviews than the Strokes had been getting, especially with 2018’s Virtue. At this point, it seemed like Casablancas was going to put more of his creative talents and best ideas into The Voidz. The New Abnormal proves that theory wrong, as Julian Casablanca’s rejuvenated creativity after two excellent Voidz albums carried over into his work with his original band.
Working with legendary producer Rick Rubin, The New Abnormal finds The Strokes having a second wind after a period of declining relevancy and critical success. Where some may argue that Comedown Machine was a slapdash record, TNA feels more deliberate and organic, with the most sonic variety of any Strokes album yet.
The Adults Are Talking is a career highlight and is easily the best song they’ve made since the first two records. Why Are Sundays So Depressing makes use of some nice rotary guitar. Bad Decisions and Eternal Summer interpolate different songs from the 1980s (Generation X’s Dancing with Myself and The Psychedelic Furs’ The Ghost in You, respectively), which is a trend I’m not exactly thrilled about, but they still manage to make good songs out of it all the same. The synth-heavy At the Door and Ode to the Mets are both wonderful ballads, with some of Casablancas best vocal performances yet.
The New Abnormal is one of the best comeback records of all time, made all the more impressive considering it released nearly two decades after Is This It. Next to their debut, this is The Strokes’ best work.
10/10
Trivia: The New Abnormal won Best Rock Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.
Tame Impala – The Slow Rush
Kevin Parker reflects on time.
Five long years after Kevin Parker’s 2015 crossover hit Currents, which sent him straight into the stratosphere, becoming one of the most in demand and popular producers of today, comes a juxtaposition of an album that’s simultaneously personal and danceable: The Slow Rush.
This album has been divisive and criticized for straying too far from the Tame Impala of a decade ago, though additional listens will reveal an equally intricate and layered album, which seems like an obvious progression from Currents (and it’s not like that album didn’t already showcase Parker’s penchant for pop).
Kevin Parkers has always shown his vulnerable side through his lyrics, but this album seems even more to the bone than ever before, with every song grappling with the concept of time and change in one way or another. This is evident in seven of the album’s twelve songs having references to time in the title.
One More Year starts the album with a song of hope; compared to Let It Happen, which opened Currents like you were on the come-up of a trip, One More Year is the listener riding the peak. Instant Destiny finds Parker dealing with impulsive love. Borderline is a bonafide disco hit, complete with yacht rock elements and harpsichord (the album version differs from the single that was released in 2019). On Posthumous Forgiveness, Kevin comes to terms with his late father’s disapproval of his musician lifestyle and learns to forgive him. Breathe Deeper is a beautiful piano-led song, accompanied by tasty basslines and an extended outro. Tomorrow’s Dust has delicate acoustic guitar arpeggios. On Track is this album’s Eventually and is just as powerful. Lost in Yesterday deals with being stuck in the past. Is It True is funky as fuck. It Might Be Time is an introspective look on growing older and seeing your friends and those around you change. Glimmer is a short house instrumental. One More Hour closes the album on a climactic and sentimental note.
Don’t be fooled by the pop tendencies on display here, this is still a very psychedelic album that should appeal to fans of Innerspeaker and Lonerism, but especially Currents and unlike most pop, the lyricism on The Slow Rush is deep, vulnerable and emotional. The production is absolute ear candy and you can tell that Parker obsessed over this for a while. The Slow Rush is a misunderstood masterpiece that didn’t receive the recognition that it deserved, but in time, I think it will considered a masterpiece that’s acknowledged as being just as amazing as the first three Tame Impala records.
This record came out in February 2020, slightly before the Covid pandemic had started, it will always seem like a soundtrack to that point in our history to me. In hindsight, I’m glad that myself and others had such a brilliant album to distract ourselves with during a time of uncertainty and anxiety.
A master class in psychedelic pop.
10/10
The White Stripes – Greatest Hits
The legendary duo finally releases a career retrospective.
The White Stripes released six incredible albums between 1999 and 2007, producing hit song after hit song and being amongst the leaders of the rock revival of the 2000s.
In the digital age, compilations may not serve the same purpose they once served, but I’m always fascinated to see an artist’s own curation of what they consider to be their most essential recordings. The White Stripes are also a band that had no bad albums and a rather short career, so you’re getting nothing but gold here; every song is a zinger.
All of the big singles are here: The Big Three Killed My Baby, Hello Operator, Hotel Yorba, Fell in Love With a Girl, Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground, Seven Nation Army, The Hardest Button to Button, I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself, Blue Orchid, My Doorbell, The Denial Twist, Conquest and Icky Thump… All classics.
There are also some of the band’s best deep cuts, like Apple Blossom, Astro, Death Letter, I Think I Smell a Rat, Screwdriver, I Fought Piranhas and Ball & Biscuit, as well as a couple non-album songs, Let’s Shake Hands and the duo’s excellent cover of Dolly Parton’s Jolene.
It would have been nice to see some more rarities, but at 82 minutes, there would be no memory left on a single CD. Considering that none of the runtime is wasted, this is pretty much the greatest single disc White Stripes greatest hits package you could ask for.
10/10
FIN
Brett Nippard
