JPEGMAFIA / Danny Brown - Scaring the Hoes

Release Date:  March 24th, 2023

party's over grandpa

Review:  so i listen to danny brown earlier, but jpeg is new to me. sometimes he sounds like childish gambino, which surprised me. I would describe the music to be more erratic, like the wrestling samples and the electronic noises. Since the songs are short, i don't get bored. And thankfully the two MCs here are hype to keep my attention.

Summary: My opinion on danny brown are still the same, but this album got me interested in Mr JPEG.

Favorite Songs:  Steppa Pig, Burfict, Shut Yo Bitch Ass Up / Muddy Waters
Rating: 7/10

Jihyo - ZONE

Release Date:  August 18th, 2023

the 2nd member of Twice to solo debut.

Review:  This album is good, but it didn't click with me because I know Jihyo is a hard worker and talented singer, but her English pronunciations can be off-putting. So I didn't like the title track at first, the "you're making me feel something new" sounds weird, but the song is a banger if you don't focus on the words. "Talkin' About It" is fire and it's all in English. and she sounds great here. the rap feature from 24kGoldn is good too.

I slept on "Closer" and "Wishing on You" at first, but it's grown on me when I accept that it's meant to be a treading on water song. "Don't Wanna Go Back" is cool. its more melodic than the previous two. My favorite b-side goes to "Room." I'm not sure how to describe it other than it's gorgeous. Finally, "Nightmare" closes the album in epic fashion. It's interesting because she performed this as her solo stage on tour and I wasn't too keen on it, but the studio version is really good.

and if it matters, Jihyo was very hands on with the ep, where she has writing credits and production credits except for the title track.

Summary:  But is this good? I mean, she's the leader and main vocalist of Twice.

Favorite Songs:  Talkin' About It, Room, Nightmare
Rating: 8/10

Jessie Ware - That! Feels Good!

Release Date:  April 28th, 2023

Review:  Is this new?  Is this original?  who knows anymore. I was a big fan of her soul approach on her first two albums, but just like Adele, how far can you take that British sound? Well, Jessie found new life on her 4th album, and on this 5th album, it's the same disco energy, but for modern times. I don't know man, music makes you feel things and this album just feels good (pun intended). Like the way they just slap works at your ears so it makes you want to groove to them. Yes, she sings and the lyrics aren't as romantic, it's sexy. And you can hear a crowd of voices singing instead of it being just her, so it feels alive like a party.

Summary:  Easy to predict where the songs are headed and when the music hits where you expect, it just feels good.

Favorite Songs: Free Yourself, Pearls, Hello Love, Shake The Bottle
Rating: 9/10

Joanna Newsom - Divers

Release Date: October 23rd, 2015

I wasn't seeking out music in 2015. I know I was aware of this album, and if I did give it a listen, I have no memory of it, but I do remember telling myself that I'll eventually get to it.

Review: and so here we are. It's no Ys, but I can hear these songs sitting side to side with "Have One on Me's." I don't think the first two tracks are all that interesting, and the title track, "Divers" isn't all great either. I did however like "Goose Eggs" and "Waltz of the 101st Lightborne" and the 2 songs under 3 minutes. The last song has a cool climax to it, but I feel like I heard it before.

Summary: It's a fine album, but i don't think it's an "attention to detail" album like her past work. I could be wrong, since it's only been a few days listening and i'm more focus on the sound and not the lyrics. None of these songs are bad, but just compared to her other stuff, these just feel like songs, not magical.

Favorite Songs: Goose Eggs, Waltz of the 101st Lightborne, The Things I Say
Rating: 7/10

Joanna Newsom - The Milk-Eyed Mender

Release Date: March 23th, 2004

I've been listening to this album for no particular reason. I know she made a surprise appearance opening for Fleet Foxes with some new songs (which i haven't listened to yet), and I know I loved this album in the previous decade, I just always had it ranked lower than Ys and Have One on Me.

Review:A lot has changed since 2010, my musical taste has gravitated towards pop and I just don't have the attention span to dive into those later albums. I think I tried to be snobbish by recognizing the difficulty skill level of the music. But this one? i don't know, this one is more child-like and easy to understand. Maybe you could say it's on the traditional side because I want to say the melodies are easy to predict. At the same time, I could feel that way because I overplayed this album from years past.  I would say that "Peach, Plum, Pear" is not a good introduction song to a new fan. it was a stand out for me, but i gotta admit, its irritating at first. "En Gallop" is still my favorite song here, but "Sadie" and the last track really resonated with me this time around.

Summary: I used to rank this lower than her later works, but revisiting now, I think it aged better than the rest.

Favorite Songs: Sadie, "En Gallop", Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie
Rating: 9/10

Joy Division - Closer

Release Date: July 18th, 1980

Their second and final album.

Review: i read somewhere that said this album reads like a suicide letter since the lead singer died two months prior. maybe that's true if i actually paid attention. Just on the sound alone, i can hear how current bands have taken parts of what Joy Division has done. "Isolation" has a quirky pop sound to it, and i kind of think it sounds shitty. yet, the lyrics are a bit bleak. It doesnt sound like The National, but a lot of what people say about JD can apply to The National.  

Vocally, I'm starting to hear more of the REM guy and i was never a fan of that band. I read some people say that his vocals are so hopeless, but to me, it sounds like he has a stick up his ass. The drumming on "heart and soul" is cool.

Summary: I've grown to appreciate Unknown Pleasures, but Closer has synth usages that doesn't sound right. Because it all sounds the same, if i'm in the mood for something dreadful, here it is.

Favorite Song: Colony, Heart and Soul
Rating: 7/10

Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures

Release Date:  June 15th, 1979

My new year's resolution was to listen to more "classic" albums, whether it's for the first time, or an album I'm revisiting. Of course, I've heard of Joy Division, they get mention whenever anyone talks about post-punk. The album cover for this album is pretty iconic.

Review:  Anyways, is this album good? Talking about old albums is tricky because I know I can be swayed by the things being written about said album. I've seen the perfect scores. I've seen the top 10 placements. Because my favorite band is The National, I can sorta hear why The National gets compared to them, but very faintly.

The opening track is really good. but I kept wondering if they were really bad at their instruments or not. It sounded like they could only play two notes. But it really grew on me. vocally, dude sounds so robotic. The next few tracks felt slow and sluggish. a slow slow burn. and again, some of the instrumentals just sounds like they only know a few notes.

the whole album is like this, very cold feeling, with a few out burst to make it interesting. because I tried listening to this about 10 times, the melodies became clearer to me, but i don't know if its because i like it or because i come to understand it.

Summary:  so this is post-punk.

Favorite Songs: Disorder, Insight, New Dawn Fades
Rating: 8/10

Jockstrap - I Love You Jennifer B

Release Date:  September 9th, 2022

interesting, the girl in this duo is also in BCNR

Review:  This is weird, some songs sound glitchy and some sound like your standard singer songwriter songs. Apparently these songs were done from the past three years and so they admit it's all over the place but hope there is something for everyone. I guess for myself, that song is "Concrete over Water." I also like "Glasgow," but it's the most straight foreword song so its a safe pick. "Debra" is pretty cool. If the entire album was like "Lancaster Court" where it's more on the quiet side, i don't know if i would like it more or less. The glitchy stuff makes this stand out. But the glitchy stuff makes this sound like shit. I like dance music when you listen to it by yourself, this feels more like the type of stuff you hear at a real night club.

Summary:  it's a mixed bag of "wow this is shit" to "okay, i can understand this." I'm not sure how i feel about it, i do like that this album has a no rules approach to their songs, but do i enjoy listening to it? i don't know, it's just weird.

Favorite Songs: Concrete Over Water, Angst, Glasgow
Rating: 5/10

Julia Jacklin - Pre Pleasure

Release Date:  August 26th, 2022

Review:  Didn't think much of this album. Its your indie rock album. The ones i took mental notes on were "Ignore Tenderness" and "Moviegoer" and maybe if this wasn't December, i would come back to it, but from what i heard on first listen, I thought it was your run of the mill indie rocker with the occasional soft ballads. from Australia.

funny, i just looked at the wiki and the only songs Owen Pallett is credited for the string arrangements are for the two songs I like.

Summary:  it's music, if you like her, you'll like it.

Favorite Songs:  Ignore Tenderness, End of a Friendship
Rating: 5/10

JID - The Forever Story

Release Date:  August 26th, 2022

This is an album I found on twitter by searching "best album so far" and someone posted the album cover for this.

Review:  I don't know how to review this album without shitting on other hip hop albums I've tried listening to. Why do i like this album, but not someone like westside gunn or conway the machine or benny the butcher. Yeah, those guys just didn't grab me. This album has no bad songs and maybe 59 minutes is too long, but they fly by really quick.  I just like the way he raps. It just sounds good.

Summary:  I don't know why this is good, it just sounds good to me. I like the beats, i like the gospel choir, and most importantly, I like the way he flows, and all of the guest features are good too.

Favorite Songs: Dance Now, Surround Sound, Sistanem
Rating: 8/10

Joyride! - Miracle Question

Release Date: April 15th, 2022

Thanks stereogum, I was scrolling through their album of the week section and this was their pick for the week of April 12th. This is their 5th album and they don't even have a wikipedia page and as of this writing, they only have 642 monthly listeners on spotify.

Review: Anyways, I don't want to talk shit, if they are 5 albums in, let's let them be happy. I'm gonna assume that this is exactly who they are. The album is tight, only 27 minutes, 12 tracks, none going over 3 minutes. I listen to a lot of music with female vocals and I was trying to think why this album wasn't clicking. I think its fine, but i kept listening to find that one song that made me go "this is it, this is the one!" But there's nothing here that i would put on my end of the year list. Nearly all of the songs sound the same and I think the band isn't clicking with me is because the guitars mostly play riffs and I found that to be crunchy, but not catchy.

Summary: This is fine for background noise or if you need licensed music to put in some movie. I would never say they are bad, but because they mostly play riffs, the noise never grabbed me. Their songs aren't sing-a-long-able.  They sound like what a local band would sound like at a wedding.

Favorite Songs: Back to You, Birthday, Flyover States
Rating: 6/10

John Mayer - Sob Rock

Release Date: July 16th, 2021
Genre: rock

Remember how good "Continuum" was?

Review: n/a

Tracklist/Scorecard:
1. Last Train Home 9/10
2. Shouldn't Matter but It Does 8/10
3. New Light 8/10
4. Why You No Love Me 4/10
5. Wild Blue 6/10
6. Shot in the Dark 8/10
7. I Guess I Just Feel Like 5/10
8. Til the Right One Comes 7/10
9. Carry Me Away 6/10
10. All I Want Is To Be With You 7/10

Summary: I guess it depends on what you're into. When Mayer sticks to the pop formula, he can make a good song like "Last Train Home" and "New Light." There's elements of that in all of the songs, but there's also a dry, 80's Tom Petty-style of rock that sounds like he's just a studio session guitarist. There's nothing too exciting about this album, but it's there if you want something inoffensive. There is one song, "Why You No Love Me" that makes me wondering if it's a good song or not. I think it's shit, but it stands out so much.

Key Tracks: Last Train Home, New Light, Shot in the Dark
Rating: 6/10

Justin Bieber - Peaches (feat. Daniel Caesar & Giveon)

Release Date: March 19th, 2021

When I first heard this song while flipping through radio stations, I was thinking that the melody was really nice and mellow and chill. Did I understood what he meant by peaches?  no, but it sounded very free. Then I got home and tried listening to it on my own time and the magic lost itself. Justin has the first verse and the chorus, but then I realized how repetitive it was. The lyrics are fairly surface level, which is fine. I don't know, I think the song is pleasing for radio, or as a transition song used between breaks, but as a full song, I wish Justin didn't sing with this accent.

Rating: 4/10

Jazmine Sullivan - Heaux Tales

Release Date: January 8th, 2021
Genre: R&B

I know, rnb is not my flavor, but Pitchfork gave this BNM at the start of the year and I'm still coming back to it as we near the half way point of the year.

Review: So there's 14 tracks, but 6 of them are a skit, or a spoken word dialogue. It's not a skip, but I think it serves a cleanser for the next tracks so it doesn't feel long overall. I love the vibe on "Pick Up Your Feelings" and "Put it Down." to me, it just sounds chill. I feel like I'm suppose to like "Price Tags" and "Girl like Me" since they both feature some big name guest, but it just sounds like very lukewarm rnb to me.

Tracklist/Scorecard:
1. Bodies - intro 8/10
2. Antoinette's Tale
3. Pick Up Your Feelings 9/10
4. Ari's Tale
5. Put it Down 9/10
6. On It 8/10
7. Donna's Tale
8. Price Tags 6/10
9. Rashida's Tale
10. Lost One 9/10
11. Precious' Tale
12. The Other Side 8/10
13. Amanda's Tale
14. Girl Like Me 6/10

Summary: I know, I hate it when I give an album a chance solely because of Pitchfork, but I really do enjoy this album. At a runtime of just 30 minutes, I found this album to be easy to listen to.

Key Tracks: Pick Up Your Feelings, Put it Down, Lost One
Rating: 8/10

Julien Baker - Little Oblivion

Release Date: February 26, 2021
Genre: Indie folk

I became a fan when I saw the album cover to "Sprained Ankle" and I thought, this is aesthetically pleasing, but there was a point on the record where I just paused and asked myself, "dang, is she okay?" Depressing lyrics aren't new, but it was just her and her guitar that made the words impactful. The positive reviews on her second album made me feel that critics were correcting their mistakes for sleeping on her debut, so I had trouble agreeing with the more electric guitar sounds on "Turn Out the Lights."

Review: Truthfully, I wasn't expecting anything new here, but because I did gloss over her 2nd album, I have faint memories of what it sounded like.  Opening with "Hardline," no surprises, I thought it sounded like a Julien Baker song because of how it kept trying to light fireworks. But hearing the opening notes on the next few songs, it's comforting, I know it's not interesting, but I was drawn in. "Heatwave" has this interesting instrumental melody, like it came from some heart-rate monitor. I love the build up for "Faith Healer" and those swirling sounds. "Relative fiction" has this consistency as it marches towards the end.

I don't want to sound redundant, her voice has this vulnerable-ness to it, but I also feel like her voice is limited when she tries those high notes. The album is very tight with its sound, like they all give off the same colors, same mood, same world. I will highlight the song, "Favor." I didn't know it was a pre-release single, but I instantly knew it was a stand out because it sounded like it was ready to be heard by itself.

Tracklist/Scorecard:
1. Hardline 7/10
2. Heatwave 10/10
3. Faith Healer 9/10
4. Relative Fiction 10/10
5. Crying Wolf 9/10
6. Bloodshot 8/10
7. Ringside 7/10
8. Favor 10/10
9. Song in E 7/10
10. Repeat 7/10
11. Highlight Reel 7/10
12. Ziptie 8/10

Summary: Perhaps this is me correcting myself for not giving her 2nd album a chance, but this album opened my eyes to her previous works. I was mostly a fan of her acoustic guitar songs, but I get it now, and once I get it, listening to the whole album is an easy task.

Key Tracks: Heatwave, Relative Fiction, Favor
Rating: 8/10

JoJo - Marvin's Room

Damn. remember that song "Leave (get out)" because i thought that would be her only hit. But damn. This fucken song. Drake's version did nothing for me, but that's not important. I'm really feeling JoJo's voice here. So soft. So sexy. So precise.

Rating: 7/10

Jessie J - Do It Like A Dude

Are you sure BBC? This is the next big thing? She co-wrote "Party in the USA!!!" Her voice isn't terrible, but this particular song style doesn't stand out.

Rating: 2/10

James Blake - James Blake

Release Date:  02/07/11
Genre: Minimal, Ambient, Dubstep

*vibrations*

Vocally it reminds me of Antony Hegarty and Bon Iver (autotuned), but musically, I'm not sure what this is.  There's no doubt that this album is different from what I'm used to.  I love melodies and this album is lacking clear ones. I did enjoy the first half of the album a lot more.  Like a lot more.  The second half had too much singing with sparse music. Still, interesting textures used here and a lot of understated sounds.

Favorite Songs: I Never Learnt to Share, Lindesfarne II, Limit To Your Love
Rating: 8.1/10

Jason Derülo - Jason Derülo

Release Date: 03/02/10
Genre: Dance-pop, R&B

9 hits, 1 album. I first heard of this guy while browsing the billboard charts late last year and "Whatcha Say" was number 1 so I just HAD to know what else could he do.

Review: A while back, Jason was on America Idol and when asked about the performance, Simon said, "well done." I don't know why, but I almost riot'd. There's way too much auto-tuned here to connect on a human level and I really can't tell if he can sing. Because it's only 9 tracks, I found myself able to swing through the entire album with ease. I can hear any of theses songs being played on the radio. So why the low score? Even thought I can sit through it, it's a very disposable pop album.

Tracklist/Scorecard:
1. Whatcha Say 8/10
2. Ridin' Solo 2/10
3. In My Head 8/10
4. The Sky's the Limit 6/10
5. What If 4/10
6. Love Hangover 7/10
7. Encore 5/10
8. Fallen 5/10
9. Blind 3/10

Summary: I'll be your teacher I'll show you the ropes.

Key Tracks: Whatcha Say, In My Head, Love Hangover
Rating: 5.3/10

Jónsi - Go

Release Date: 04/05/10
Genre: Sigur Rós

Discovering Sigur Rós's music was a life changing, genre shifting moment for me. Yes, we get it. It's highly layered and dense with emotion. Who do they sound like? None of the comparisons comes close. Their 2008 album marked a change in their sound. It was more organic, which is where Jónsi's album seems to branch off from.

Review: So I miss the lenghty intro/outro that earlier SR music had and on this album, there is none. Nothing that transit between songs. So it does leave me with a loose "skip around' mode. The only songs I really come back to are "Boy Lilikoi" and is it just me or does "Around Us" sound very Mew-like. anyways, It's a decent album, but nothing to really amaze you. I didn't hear that much experimentation and I really don't like him singing in English.

Tracklist/Scorecard:
1. Go Do 8/10
2. Animal Arithmetic 9/10
3. Tornado 7/10
4. Boy Lilikoi 9/10
5. Sinking Friendships 8/10
6. Kolniður 6/10
7. Around Us 8/10
8. Grow till Tall 6/10
9. Hengilás 6/10

Summary: Joyful sounds.

Key Tracks: Animal Arithmetic, Boy Lilikoi, Around Us
Rating: 7.4/10