Might as well

[Space-Dementia]

December 22, 2017
Saturation III by Brockhampton
Boogie - 8/10
Zipper - 8/10
Johnny - 8/10
Liquid - 8/10
Cinema 1 - N/A
Stupid - 8/10
Bleach - 8/10
Alaska - 9/10
Hottie - 8/10
Cinema 2 - N/A
Sister/Nation - 9/10
Rental - 8/10
Stains - 7/10
Cinema 3 - N/A
Team - 8/10
2017 is quite simply the year of the Brockhampton. I’ve never seen or heard of anything remotely like this. A year ago practically nobody heard of any of these guys besides maybe Kevin Abstract, and by now if you haven’t heard of them you can’t really call yourself a hip hop fan. They really did saturate the world with their music until they were impossible to look past. But the best part is their music is great. All three albums they released this year are terrific.
It seems like they’ve been getting more experimental on each album, and this is definitely the weirdest album they released this year. It’s as diverse as the first two, but there’s just a weird vibe around this one. But it’s a great vibe though. One thing I’ve noticed with these guys is that almost every song takes at least three or four listens to at least start to understand. I mean Saturation II probably went up about 20 spots in my year chart over time as I listened o it more and more. Cause here’s the thing: their beats often just don’t sound like they should work at all either cause they’re too cheesy or cause they’re just too different from the rest of their stuff, but by the fifth listen you’re bumping to “Junky” as much as you are to “Gold”. They’re also incredibly consistent. Out of all three albums they’ve released this year, I would really only get rid of three or four of those songs. Every single song on this album is great, and that’s not something I can say about many albums. 8/10, Best Song: Sister/Nation

Blonde on Blonde by Bob Dylan
Rain Day Women #12 & 35 - 8/10
Pledging my Time - 8/10
Visions of Johanna - 8/10
One of us Must Know (Sooner or Later) - 9/10
I Want You - 8/10
Stuck Inside Of Mobile with the Memphis Blues again - 9/10
Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat - 7/10
Just Like a Woman - 8/10
Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I’ll Go Mine) - 7/10
Temporary Like Achilles - 8/10
Absolutely Sweet Marie - 8/10
Fourth Time Around - 8/10
Obviously Five Believers - 8/10
Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands - 9/10
Although it took me a while to really appreciate Bob Dylan, at this point he’s an artist who I could listen to for hours on end. I didn’t even realize that “Sad-Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands” was ten minutes long until I looked down at my phone as the song ended. He’s just so interesting. From his lyrics to his harmonica solos to the constant-strumming guitar keeping it all going, it all comes together to form something that takes me into another world. And I guess that’s what this whole industry is all about. 8/10, Best Song: One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later).

[Space-Dementia]

December 23, 2017
Brick Body Kids Still Daydream by Open Mike Eagle
Legendary Iron Hood - 8/10
(How Could Anybody) Feel at Home - 8/10
Hymnal - 8/10
No Selling (Uncle Butch Pretending it Don’t Hurt) - 7/10
Happy Wasteland Day - 8/10
Daydreaming in the Projects - 8/10
Brick Body Complex - 8/10
Tldr (Smithing) - 7/10
Breezeway Ritual - 6/10
Wedding Ghosts - 7/10
95 Radios - 8/10
My Auntie’s Building - 8/10
So I’m digging this weird R&B-Electronica-Hip Hop fusion thing he’s got going here, or “art hip hop” as he apparently calls it, but theres just a few small things keeping me from really appreciating this album. On “Hymnal” and a few other songs it literally sounds like whoever produced this mixed all the tracks and then just didn’t touch the vocals and just sent that out as the final version. Then on a lot of these songs his raps are almost whispers, which is a weird vibe since he’s rapping about really personal shit, about his childhood and his family and stuff. However that being said, the instrumentals are really intriguing. Like I said earlier, there’s a lot of mixing of genres on this thing, and I really like the minimalistic vibe I get from a lot of these beats, like they’re complete but there’s something missing but not in a bad way more in a way where you can just kinda imagine the places these songs could go, so your interpretation plays a big part in the sound of it. I’ll close by saying that I can see this album being loved a few decades from now on. It seems to paint a pretty good picture of what some kids are going through growing up in the projects today, and the instrumentals paint a nice nostalgic image that matches the lyrics, so I can see some Now teenagers really appreciating this thing when they’re adults. 7/10, Best Song: 95 Radios.

[Space-Dementia]

December 26, 2017
Reflections of a Floating World by Elder
Sanctuary - 9/10
The Falling Veil - 8/10
Staving off Truth - 8/10
Blind - 7/10
Sonntag - 7/10
Thousand Hands - 8/10
Electric Wizard meets Pink Floyd. It’s really heavy, but it’s not pure meat like other stoner/doom metal. There’s a dreaminess about the music, especially with the mellotron and higher guitars that dance around the edges of your ears, and especially at parts like the last minute or so of “Sanctuary”, where there’s a beautiful riff repeated over and over until it all just fades into each other. While the whole ten-minute-long song thing works for most songs, some of them could have been a bit shorter and I would have been happier, but they clearly have a formula that works for them. I really like that they found a way to not make the extended jam sessions seem forced, something that other bands like Orb can work on, and it’s cool how the vocals kinda come and go. It reminds me of movies like The Princess Bride, where the bulk of the movie is the story and once in a while we come back to the grandpa talking to the kid and then it goes back; except here the story is the instrumental passages and the grandpa and kid scenes are the parts with vocals. Speaking of the vocals, I like how he sings instead of screaming, but he does need to work on his chops, especially on “Staving off Truth”, where he sounds like a drunk guy at a pub. It’s just a minor detail though. While some of the songs could have been a bit shorter and more focused, I’m really impressed by Elder’s latest release. 7.5/10, Best Song: Sanctuary.

[Space-Dementia]

December 28, 2017
Heartless by Pallbearer
I Saw the End - 8/10
Thorns - 7/10
Lie of Survival - 8/10
Dancing in Madness - 7/10
Cruel Road - 7/10
Heartless - 8/10
A Plea for Understanding - 8/10
Parts of this remind me of Metallica, but other parts remind me of Explosions in the Sky. Obviously Pallbearer's sound isn't much like either of those bands, but they spread the barriers of what's considered doom metal on this record. There's low sludgy guitars and slow thumping drums, but there's so much more emotion than I would have expected. While I'm not a fan of the lead singer's voice or all the delay on it, or even some of the lyrics, it seems like the centerpiece of the album, so it's easier to just look past the faults and try to get in sync with his emotions. And for that reason, the best songs on here are the most emotional ones, especially the final track. It's over ten minutes long, but it doesn't feel like it, because it's not dragged out at all. Every second is well spent, and while at times it's just too melodramatic for me, I can appreciate the almost cinematic experience it provides. I mean it sounds like the soundtrack to the climax scene of a really epic movie, so while it's easy to laugh at some of the cheesy lyrics or overdone vocals, it's more fun to just go with it, close your eyes, and let the music paint a grandiose scene for you. 7/10, Best Song: A Plea for Understanding.

[Space-Dementia]

December 29, 2017
Syre by Jaden Smith
B - 7/10
L - 8/10
U - 7/10
E - 7/10
Breakfast - 7/10
Hope - 7/10
Falcon - 7/10
Ninety - 7/10
Lost Boy - 7/10
Batman - 8/10
Icon - 9/10
Watch Me - 7/10
Fallen - 8/10
The Passion - 8/10
George Jeff - 8/10
Rapper - 7/10
SYRE - N/A
There's potential here. Jaden's onto something, but he needs to stop trying to be more than he is. The whole "Syre" persona he created here is kinda pointless, because there's not really a story to follow, it's more just "deep thoughts with Jaden" as he tries to put together some kind of a dramatic landscape but it just doesn't work out. So, going along with that, there's no reason for this album to be 70+ minutes long, and for some songs to drag on for 8 or 9 minutes. Jaden succeeds on chaotic, experimental trap songs like "Icon" and "Batman". If he could make an album more like the second half of this album and less like the first half, then people could start taking him more seriously. Because there really is good music on here: "Icon" is soulful and catchy and honestly one of my favorite songs of the year. While the lyrics and over the top thematic elements definitely need to be tamed and improved, the production's not bad, and there's signs of a better next album. 6.5/10, Best Song: Icon

[Space-Dementia]

December 30, 2017
Dripping by Pile
Baby Boy - 8/10
So Hard - 8/10
The Browns - 8/10
Grunt Like a Pig - 7/10
Prom Song - 9/10
Bump a Grape - 7/10
Sun Poisoning - 7/10
Bubblegum - 7/10
Steve’s Mouth - 7/10
The Jones - 8/10
While Dripping seems more energetic than A Hairshirt Of Purpose, it still doesn’t capture the true nature of their live performances. However, they do great with dynamics on this album, with the lead singer using his screaming voice more often than he does on their latest album, and with many sudden jumps in volume that add to the energy. The composition of the music is simpler than their latest album, and a lot of the songs kinda melt into each other, but it’s still a great sound that they’re working with. I really like how most songs have various peaks in volume and energy, but there’s almost always one centerpiece climactic point, like in “Prom Song”, when the solo kicks in about 3 minutes in. I really like what Pile have done on the two albums of theirs that I’ve listened to, and I can’t wait to see where they go next. 7/10, Best Song: Prom Song.

[Space-Dementia]

December 31, 2017
Best Albums of 2017
30. Drunk by Thundercat Hilarious, funky, and really fucking good. 7.5/10, Key Tracks: Them Changes, Walk on By, Friend Zone, Show You the Way
29. A Hairshirt of Purpose by Pile It doesn't quite capture their live energy, but Pile have a sound unlike any other band at the moment. 7.5/10, Key Tracks: Dogs, Rope's Length, Worms.
28. Reflections of a Floating World by Elder It's so epic that it approaches post rock, but it is by all means a stoner rock album, one that takes you on a journey. 7.5/10, Key Tracks: Sanctuary, The Falling Veil
27. Antisocialites by Alvvays Quick, catchy, to the point. It's like Beach House mixed with Blondie. 7.5/10, Key Tracks: In Undertow, Dreams Tonite, Plimsoll Punks, Your Type.
26. 4:44 by Jay Z Jay Z at his most subdued musically, but also his most personal lyrically. 7.5/10, Key Tracks: 4:44, The Story of OJ, Family Feud.
25. The Dusk in Us by Converge The first half of the album is one harsh pounding riff after another, with the rest of the band catching up to just give the whole thing a ferocious sound, and then the title track comes up and completely changes the feel of the album. It's such an emotional song, with such a slow buildup and such an intense ending that it really makes this one of the best albums of this year. 7.5/10, Key Tracks: A Single Tear, The Dusk in Us, Eye of the Quarrel, Arkhipov Calm.
24. Sleep Well Beast by The National The National are kinda like the new R.E.M., in that they've never really made anything incredible, but they're really consistent, and pretty much all their albums are gonna have a couple songs that you can chill out to. And they keep it going on their latest release. 7.5/10, Key Tracks: Day I Die, The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness, Guilty Party.
23. This Old Dog by Mac DeMarco As his fandom largely increases in size, Mac loses some of his edge, but he's still good old Mac, as long as you can ignore the fans. I get why people are saying he's ruining rock music or whatever, but I think he's just offering another suggestion as to the direction the genre can go in the future. It's a laid-back, dreamy direction, but he manages to fill it with catchy melodies, warm synths, and personal themes. 7.5/10, Key Tracks: For the First Time, Moonlight on the River, My Old Man, This Old Dog.
22. American Dream by LCD Soundsystem It took me a little while to get used to the idea of LCD Soundsystem existing again, but once I did I realized that this is a good comeback album. It's not nearly the level of their first three, but for a comeback, it could have been much worse, and there's some great tracks on here. The songs are for the most part longer than they were on their last two albums, but besides that it's kinda just more of the same, which is always a good thing with LCD Soundsystem. 7.5/10, Key Tracks: Call the Police, Oh Baby, Tonite, How Do You Sleep.
21. The Ooz by King Krule It's really inconsistent, but when he finds something good, he holds onto it for as long as he can and the results are astounding. The Ooz defies genre, but King Krule still keeps it as focused as he can, and he creates a dark, lonely mood that's actually fun to enter into. The second time I listened to it was on a rainy drive to the airport in the evening, and it fit the music perfectly. I'd love to see what King Krule can do if he limits himself to a much shorter running time, because he's absolutely onto something. 7.5/10, Key Tracks: Dum Surfer, The Locomotive, Czech One, Emergency Blimp.
20. Big Fish Theory by Vince Staples It's shorter and more consistent than Summertime '06, but it's also more varied in sound. The opener sounds almost like a British grime or house track while the title track is just a straightforward Vince song. Vince is onto something, and I can't wait till he finally figures it out. 7.5/10, Key Tracks: Crabs in a Bucket, Big Fish, Yeah Right, Bagbak.
19. Rest by Charlotte Gainsbourg Unapologetically melodramatic is exactly how French pop is supposed to sound, so Charlotte nails it on this album. Every song sounds like an entire movie in itself, so it's a chore to listen to the full thing though, but individual tracks do wonders as well. 8/10, Key Tracks: Les Crocodiles, Ring-A-Ring O' Roses, Lying With You, Deadly Valentine
18. Fin by Syd While it's not as funky or soulful as her former band The Internet, Syd manages to write some really great R&B/electronic songs on here. 8/10, Key Tracks: Dollar Bills, Shake Em Off, Over, Know.
17. Harmony of Difference EP by Kamasi Washington The first four songs are all really simple, and at first it's a little off-putting, considering how extravagant each piece was on The Epic, but "Truth" brings everything together in a cornucopia of melodies played on all different instruments, forming one of his best songs yet. 8/10, Key Track: Truth.
16. Blue Chips 7000 by Action Bronson He's not the most skilled lyricist, but he knows how to ride beat, and the beats on here are unreal. They're sweet, juicy, and always hot and spicy. Makes sense that he's also a chef. 8/10, Key Tracks: Wolfpack, The Chairman's Intent, 9-24-7000, Hot Pepper.
15. Sports by Fufanu It all pretty much sounds the same, but consistency is key. The title is perfect though, because this is stuff is great for when you're active. 8/10, Key Track: Sports.
14. Science Fiction by Brand New Not really much to it, just some great modern rock. It's much more mature than their earlier stuff, which is what really makes it so good, in my opinion. 8/10, Key Tracks: Lit Me Up, Can't Get It Out, Waste, Same Logic / Teeth.
13. Process by Sampha It's as much electronica as it is R&B, but the best part is that he always manages to craft a brilliant melody, no matter how complex or simple the instrumentation behind him is. 8/10, Key Tracks: Blood on Me, Plastic 100 Degrees Celsius, Incomplete Kisses, No One Knows Me like the Piano.
12. A Crow Looked At Me by Mount Eerie I only managed to listen to this one time full through, I gave up halfway through the second listen. It's definitely not something you want to return to a lot because it's incredibly depressing. It's such a personal topic that you can hear the sorrow in his voice and it's just not something that sounds nice. But if you look at it as a piece of art it's touching. 8/10
11. Saturation III by Brockhampton Its their most experimental album, so there's some incredible songs and some where they just kinda dropped the ball, but Brockhampton remained pretty consistent throughout all three of their releases this year, and this is certainly an excellent finish. Key Tracks: Boogie, Zipper, Stupid, Sister/Nation
10. Crack-Up by Fleet Foxes This is much different than their first two albums. Where Fleet Foxes and Helplessness Blues presented beautiful laid-back folk music, this takes modern folk to entirely new places. Although it's not as good as their first two albums, this one works best as a full album. There's not as many songs to throw on in a park with your friends, but a full listen puts you on a journey. It's definitely their most other-worldly record, and I respect it for that. Key Tracks: Third of May / Odaigahara, Cassius, Kept Woman, I Am All That I Need.
9. All-Amerikkkan Bada$$ by Joey Bada$$ Although there's pretty much no subtlety anywhere on this record, I somehow really like it. I think it's the 90s-themed instrumentals on a lot of the songs, matched with really catchy hooks. And while he could find more interesting ways to phrase what he's trying to say, his songs still have great, encouraging messages. 8/10, Key Tracks: For My People, Temptation, Land of the Free, Super Predator.
8. Slowdive by Slowdive There's an interesting relationship here between different eras. Slowdive was obviously a huge influence on dream pop bands from the late 90s to now, so it's really cool to see how Slowdive now takes influence from some of those bands that they influenced as well as from older bands that influenced their earlier stuff. It's like the lovechild between The Cure, My Bloody Valentine, and The xx. 8/10, Key Tracks: Star Roving, Slomo, Sugar For The Pill, No Longer Making Time.
7. Saturation by Brockahmpton The first album of the trilogy had to be the one to capture everyone's attention, so it's the most commercial, but it still slaps. While there's less of the experimentation that they messed around with on the next two, the album still switches constantly between hard-hitting heavy bass tracks, head-bopping hip hop, and slow soulful indie rock. 8/10, Key Tracks: Heat, Gold, Star, Fake.
6. 4eva is a Mighty Long Time by Big K.R.I.T. I usually grimace when I'm reading about an album I haven't heard and I see that its running time is over an hour. And that's what I did when I first heard about Big K.R.I.T.'s latest album. But I had a day with nothing scheduled so I decided to spend it listening to this record, and boy was I surprised. It's not like K.R.I.T. is recreating hip hop or anything, but it's unbelievable to me that an 80+ minute long album can be so consistent. There are very few tracks that I would skip on here, and the high points are jaw-dropping. He's clearly a southern rap artist, but there's a variety of sounds on here that makes me really curious to see what his previous albums sound like 8/10, Key Tracks: Layup, Get Away, Mixed Messages, Miss Georgia Fornia.
5. Ctrl by SZA What makes SZA so cool is that she puts herself front and center of her album without reeking of narcissism. Opening track "Supermodel" has a beautiful chord progression played by one of her friends on a guitar, and at the end there are some drums, but the main focus throughout the entire song is what SZA's singing about. Throughout the album she focuses on her relationships, beauty, being a woman, and modern culture, but she doesn't come off as pretentious. She just sounds like a girl who's sure of herself and wants to talk. 8/10, Key Tracks: Supermodel, Love Galore, Doves in the Wind, Pretty Little Birds.
4. Saturation II by Brockhampton While their first album this year was a wonderful and exciting introduction to the group, it was on their follow-up that they really shined their brightest. There's a more alternative, experimental sound here than there was on the first one, and there's less throwaway tracks. In addition, the group lays down some of their most personal lines yet. But what I love most about Brockhampton is how the beats all kinda move around, change shape, and take on a completely different form by the end of the song. One thing it does for sure is make sure you actually listen to the full tracks, and not just the first minute. 8/10, Key Tracks: Gummy, Queer, Fight, Sweet
3. A Deeper Understanding by The War on Drugs Sure, some of it's a little cheesy, and sure his influences are crystal clear, but boy was this a great album to drive and relax to this summer. His lyrics aren't particularly exceptional, but the music is. And while a lot of the songs start to blend together a little too much, the guitar solos are what make this album shine. He also shows, just like one of his biggest influences Bruce Springsteen, that you don't have to have a beautiful voice or be exceptionally skilled at your instrument to make it in the music business. You just have to have a lot of passion, and Adam sure as hell does. 8.5/10, Key Tracks: Up All Night, Thinking of a Place, Pain, Strangest Thing.
2. Flower Boy by Tyler, the Creator Tyler was never an albums artist for me. He had a handful of great songs, but not much else besides potential and character. And on his latest album he finally pulled himself together and put together an exceptional record. Right from the opening track he's dropping some of his most memorable bars over one of the smoothest beats I've ever heard from him. It's amazing how he's able to open himself up and lay down some of his most personal lyrics about loneliness and sexual identity while also making fun summer songs that you can blast over the aux. The issues I have with it are very minor, mostly track lengths and a few unnecessary songs at the end, but this is a high quality release. 8.5/10, Key Tracks: 911, See You Again, Garden Shed, Foreword.
1. Damn. by Kendrick Lamar | Although it's not quite at the level of his last two projects, I don't really think it's fair to criticize the album as much as people have been. It tells a story, just like Butterfly and Good Kid do, and, for an incredibly successful commercial record it's remarkably experimental and conceptual. There are constant references to duality (wickedness and weakness, love and lust, pride and humility), there are low-key smoke songs, romantic R&B ballads, hard-hitting trap songs, songs with unexpected beautiful acoustic instrumentation. It's not perfect, but it's better than anything else that came out this year. 8.5/10, Key Tracks: Pride, Loyalty, Fear, DNA.

[Space-Dementia]

January 4, 2018
Best Songs of 2017
1. Pride by Kendrick Lamar
2. Garden Shed by Tyler, the Creator
3. Star Roving by Slowdive
4. Dum Surfer by King Krule
5. Sanctuary by Elder
6. Sister / Nation by Brockhampton
7. Crabs in a Bucket by Vince Staples
8. Miss Georgia Fornia by Big K.R.I.T.
9. Thinking of a Place by The War on Drugs
10. Them Changes by Thundercat
11. Third of May / Odaigahara by Fleet Foxes
12. 4:44 by Jay Z
13. Andromeda by Gorillaz
14. Supermodel by SZA
15. The Dusk in Us by Converge
16. Blood on Me by Sampha
17. Sports by Fufanu
18. In Undertow by Alvvays
19. For the First Time by Mac DeMarco
20. For My People by Joey Bada$$
21. Slide by Calvin Harris
22. Everything Now by Arcade Fire
23. Pure Comedy by Father John Misty
24. Get it Together by Drake
25. Icon by Jaden Smith

[grogg]

[Repo]