billy woods & Kenny Segal - Maps

Release Date: May 5th, 2023

whoosh

Review:  If a lot of people like something, then there has to be something to it that people are connecting with. I know I gave Billy Wood's last two albums a listen last year, and I thought I've grown to understand it, but for me, it's like a whoosh over my head. It's what I imagine what oldheads listen to. I'm not saying the lyrics bad, but the music, beats, instrumentals are so boring, i just don't care what he is saying.

Summary:  the music is boring, nothing stands out except that "Deion Sanders and I'm going back the other way" line.

Favorite Songs: Year Zero, The Layover
Rating: 5/10

boygenius - the record

Release Date: March 31, 2023

Review:  I love Julien's solo work, but part of me wanted to validate myself by disliking this album because it feels like Phoebe Bridgers can do no wrong recently in the eyes of the critics. I thought Punisher had good verses, but boring chrouses, but it got good reviews as an apology for sleeping on Strangers in the Alps. Anyways, that's not important. This album didn't blow me away like i wanted. "Not Strong Enough" is my favorite song and all three of them have equal shine in them. But for the most parts, the album divides the songs so it's basically taking turns on who's solo song it is. Yes, you can hear the others in them, but their sound didn't really mix, it's more of a compilation of their individual work. I did like how the last song had melodies of their song "Me & My Dog."

Summary:  Overrated, but if you're a fan of them, it's good.

Favorite Songs: True Blue, Not Strong Enough, We're In Love
Rating: 8/10

Beyoncé - Renaissance

Release Date:  July 29th, 2022

Beyoncé is in a category all on her own.

Review:  Ever seen she dropped that surprise album in 2013, it seems like Beyoncé could do no wrong. I wasn't too keen on "Break My Soul," but the high critical acclaim really intimidated me. Listening to it now, after the first 6 songs, I was a believer that this album was headed towards perfection. But "Church Girl" was questionable, and then it slowed down a bit for POTS and "Virgo's Groove." "Move" and "Heated" got things up again, even thought the ending to "heated" was a bunch of nonsense like "yadda yadda yadda bom bom kah kah."

"Thique" sounds hot. For some reason, the sample used on "America Has A Problem" reminded me of mortal kombat, but I can't find any info on that. I like the ending towards the honey section of "pure/honey" and finally, "Summer Renaissance" samples a bit of Donna Summers.

Summary: The album starts off very strong, but it becomes very apparent that this album isn't a pop album, it's a dance album. So I sorta checked out. I've seen headlines that say this album honors black musicians contributions to dance music, which is cool, but I always thought that was obvious. Anyways, I respect the album, but I didn't feel any connection to it, and even thought I could feel the bpm, I didn't think it was all that memorable.

Favorite Songs: Alien Superstar, Cuff It, Thique
Rating: 7/10

BLACKSTARKIDS - CYBERKISS*

Release Date: September 23rd, 2022

not gonna lie, I never liked rappers who tried to be rock stars. That's why I never gave gym class heroes a chance.

Review:  But this group isn't trying to be rock stars, they are more like pop punk stars. My first thoughts were, "sounds like kid cudi." and my second thoughts were, "does this sound like timbaland?" because I never thought timbaland's was all that great of a producers. But nostalgia is a powerful thing. For reals, listen to "Sex Appeal" or "Digital World" and tell me if it's a Timbaland song. This group really nailed that 00s sound without sounding like they are from the 2000s, if that make sense.

on "Joy" they kind of made a turn to the serious when they talked about their skin color, and maybe this is a stretch, but it reminds me of a Tupac song. "Boycott"  reminds me of The Go Team. I wanted to say that "Keep me around" reminds me of INOJ's "love you down" but after going back, it doesn't sound similar at all. The group makes me feel like it's retro, but they have their own spin to it, but it sounds nostalgic.

Summary:  I'm trying my hardest to not say this is a guilty pleasure, but who gives a shit. This group has some interesting takes on the past and I love that I can't pinpoint a song that they are paying homage to, they just have a vibe for the 00s, and it's rough and embarrassing and lighthearted, so that's what makes it fun. I also like that they have male and female vocals.

Favorite Songs: How to Self Destruct, Joy, Keep Me Around
Rating: 7/10

Bad Bunny - Un Verano Sin Ti

Release Date:  May 6th, 2022

One of the best selling albums of the year, 13 weeks at number 1, gotta give props to the former 24/7 champion.

Review:  I think i said this about his YHLQMDLG album, i liked that he sounds like he's crying in some of his vocal performance. those emo sounding tracks are easy for me to digest, but with a runtime of 81 minutes, this album does take a toll. I'm sure I'm missing out on context for not understanding Spanish. and despite him being a massive star, I love that someone like him is on top.

I'm sure other people will say this album has many genres, but for me, it just sounds like a good summer album. Shoot, the lyrics to "El Apagon" are "i like the pussy of Puerto Rico." It's not that deep, people just want to have fun.

Summary:  This is Bad Bunny, you know what it sounds like.

Favorite Songs: Después de la Playa, Neverita, Ojitos Lindos
Rating: 7/10

Black Country, New Road - Ants from Up There

Release Date:  February 4th, 2022

I know I listened to them last year, but it wasn't enough to make me look forward to their follow up. Interestingly, their lead vocalist quit the band a few days before this record came out.

Review: Anyways, I must have gotten this band mixed up with Black Midi because they are both from the UK. After the intro, "Chaos Space Marine" is such a circus. It reminded me a lot of Arcade Fire because you can hear a lot of moving parts and you know he's in the center of it. Then for "Concorde," its a slow song, but I was hooked the entire time. It feels very monumental and grandeur.

I hear a lot of post-punk with his vocals, and during the instrumental parts, a lot of post-rock goodness. The songs in the middle are fine, but I feel like they demand a lot of your attention. The song structures aren't as obvious here. My favorite song is probably "Snow Globes" because it has strings and it take full use of its 9 minute runtime. The ending is so climatic, like you could imagine a scene from a movie playing.

I imagine most reviewers will talk about "Basketball Shoes" because the band said it's the blueprint of this album and it's older than their debut record. For that, I respect it, but it's not my favorite.

Summary:  Is this the end? The lead singer is gone. They remind me of my first listen to Arcade Fire's Funeral because this album's scope is huge, mostly in the chamber pop, post-rock and jazzy realm and the post-punk world. The album demands your attention. There's a lot of moving parts and it's interesting to hear what other people are doing on this album.

Favorite Songs: Chaos Space Marine, Concorde, The Place Where He Inserted the Blade, Snow Globes
Rating: 8/10

Danger Mouse and Black Thought - Cheat Code

Release Date:  August 12, 2022

Of course I know he's from The Roots. Of course I know he's the other half of Gnarls Barkley. Together, I did not expect anything other than okay.

Review: but this is good. Just don't ask me what it is about. I like conscious rap, but a lot of the time (at least to me), the beats are so dry. This however, only 12 songs, but I thought the beats were really enjoyable and Black Thought had really good flow and all of the feature guest sounded good too.

Summary: at 38 minutes, this album flew by with ease. good beats and good flow.

Favorite Songs: The Darkest Part, Aquamarine, Strangers
Rating: 9/10

billy woods - Aethiopes

Release Date:  April 8th, 2022

This guy sure stays busy. Before "Church," he released this album earlier in the year.

Review:  So I can't for sure say this is better because it is, or because from listening to "church," I got accustom to his voice and expectations. I still have issues where i do feel like his words are like a textbook and a lot of the things he says go over my head. But I thought the instrumentals were more interesting.

Summary:  I like this one better

Key Tracks: Wharves, Christine, Versailles
Rating: 7/10

billy woods - Church

Release Date:  September 30th, 2022

I googled best rap album 2022 and found this. it's interesting because if you google billy woods, there's a bunch of pictures with his face blurred, and this is his 11th album overall. He's also one half of Armand Hammer, which I remember trying, but giving up on their 2020 album, Shrines.

Review: Anyways, he reminds me of Ka, and it took me nearly 10 listens before Ka started to click. I tried opening up genius so I could follow along with the lyrics, but that didn't seem fun. All i can say is that whatever genre of rap this is, I respect it. But it also feels like a textbook and a lot of the things he says go over my head. I also don't think the instrumental or the beats are all that interesting, expect for "Pollo Rico," but that's only because there's a voice going "ooooo."

Summary:  Yeah, I'm not qualify to review this, it sounds like every other conscious rap album or whatever you wanna call it. I feel silly rating this below some kpop, but due to personal preference, i don't see myself listening to this on repeat.

Favorite Songs: Cossack Wedding, Pollo Rico, All Jokes Aside
Rating: 6/10

Blackpink - Born Pink

Release Date:  September 16th, 2022

BlaaaaackPiiiiiiiinkk

Review:  I wish i was a superfan, but they barely release music and when they do, it's very bite sized. all the members are very talented. Whenever they've had a comeback, the title track seems to be a rehash of their other singles. At first, it made me feel frustrated at the lack of growth, but if i stumble on their song elsewhere, their song fits their universe. If you waited two years, "Pink Venom" sounds like shit. I thought so too. But I find the song easy to listen to now because it sounds like a Blackpink song.

"Shut Down" took some time to get used to as well. "Typa Girl" is probably my favorite song here. It has a really good beat. "yeah yeah yeah" has a nice "driving in the car" feel. "Hard to love" is very good, but very odd that it's just a solo song from Rose. What was the point of her having a solo EP?  "The Happiest Girl" is a ballad, and probably proof that these girls can sing if they let them, lyrics are a bit surface level. I do like jennie and rose here. "Tally" is the only one that i haven't found myself liking yet. And finally, they have the pubG song, "Ready for Love" which i do like. It's like the lovesick girl for this album.

Summary:  It's short. There's nothing wrong with any of the music here, but that whole era where they literally only had 10 songs, i feel like that magic touch is gone.

Favorite Songs: Typa Girl, Hard to Love
Rating: 7/10

The Beths - Expert in a Dying Field

Release Date: September 16th, 2022

I discovered them back in 2018 and continued to like them for their follow up in 2020. I think people like their debut better, but both are so similar to me that neither of them really sound like an evolution. I can't really choose. I like certain songs from their debut, and I like certain songs from their sophomore album. The lesser songs are just songs i can chill to.

Review: This album is no different. Of the 12 songs, some stand out, some feel like autopilot, but in the end, i dig it. It doesn't feel challenging so this album basically went in one ear and out the other. I would say the first two songs open the album with your typical The Beths sound, then "Silence is Golden" tries it hardest to be heavy. "Your Side" was my first favorite on first listen. I always like the catchy songs that don't appear to be flashy. its very mellow.

"I want to listen" feels very chirpy. I really like "head in the clouds." it's on the heavier side, but I though it was fun and lean more pop-punk. it has a good crunch. "Best Left" reminded me of that one The Who song with that noise. The instruments of "what you know you know" sounds like an 90s alt-rock song so i thought that was cool. The last song feels more experimental with that outro.

Summary:  All in all, this is The Beths, I like them, the lead singer hooked me. But put all of their songs on shuffle and I probably couldn't tell you which album they belonged it.

Key Tracks: Knees Deep, Your Side, Head in the Clouds, What You Know You Know
Rating: 8/10

Bjork - Fossora

Release Date:  September 30th, 2022

Bjork is an acquired taste, and I can appreciated that. When I started paying attention to music websites, i remember seeing news about Bjork calling out journalist for discrediting her work because people were too lazy to check the credit list. And so, I've always had a bit of respect for her work, but I gotta be real, what the fuck is this?

Review:  This is her tenth album and I have no idea if this is a good starting point or not. I already tried listening to the song "venus as a boy" and "hyperballad" and I kind of struggled my shoulders because they didn't convert me. I did like "It's Oh So Quiet."

As for the album, maybe I need to listen to this 20 more times, but just from two full listens, like yeah, i can appreciate the instruments, but Bjork always sounds like she is very cold and singing in an icebox shivering or something. And another thing, it feels like her vocals don't match with the music like she has no rhythm or sense of timing. I'm not saying all music should have those qualities, that's probably a big reason why Bjork is beloved. But for me, as of this moment, her music doesn't click for me. Give me something that's catchy.

Summary:  I know what bjork sounds like and this album didn't change my mind.

Favorite Song: Fossora
Rating: 4/10

beabadoobee - Beatopia

Release Date: July 15th, 2022

Seems like I always have her on my yearly best-of list for favorite song. "You lie all the time" was great, "Dye It Red" was great, and last year's "Last Day on Earth" was amazing. she's only 22, but i sort of wish she released music less often. I never thought she had released a good album, but there's hints of gold.

Review: well on first listen, I was almost ready to dismiss this album like her previous work. I was promised 90's goodness, but it sounded so boring. Until I got to track 13th, that featured PinkPantheress. Something about that track felt rejuvenating. And for the last track, although it sounded very similar to the other tracks, something unlocked in my brain where I could recognized the melodies. On my 2nd go around, her boringness turned to chill vibes. I tend to like her more bedroom side more than her wannabe 90s flavor. Her voice is always so soft and light, which depending on the song, can be a plus or a minus.

Summary: mixed bag. sometimes she sounds good, but sometimes she can sound boring.

Favorite Songs: Ripples, tinkerbell is overrated, You're here that's the thing.
Summary: 7/10

Beach House - Once Twice Melody

Release Date: February 18th, 2022

At one time, I would have considered Beach House to be in my top 5 favorite bands.

Review: This is their 8th album so if you know Beach House, then you know what they sound like. It's dreamy, it's smoky, it's lush, and of course, gotta love that raspy voice. but it's tricky because unlike my other favorite artist where I feel like they can do anything and I'll love it, after Depression Cherry, I felt Beach House can become very sluggish.

There's 18 songs here, broken into 4 chapters. Obviously there's going to be some good stuff here. While actively listening, I get it, I know this is good. But once it ends, I also know it doesn't grab me the way Teen Dream or Bloom did. Like, is there a "go-to" song on this album?  Maybe. I guess time will tell how well this ages at the end of the year. I'm having trouble wanting to repeat any of the songs. I would say Chapter 3 is probably the strongest set of songs.

Summary: This is Beach House doing their thing for 84 minutes. There are moments that sound familiar and moments that sound new, but still in line of what Beach House is. I know this album is good when I'm playing it, but it's not making me excited when I'm not listening to it. Still, apple juice is apple juice, and i like apple juice.

Favorite Songs: Superstar, New Romance, Only You Know, Hurts to Love
Rating: 8/10

Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You

Release Date: February 11th, 2022

you know how i took a break from music during the later half of the 2010s? well, that caused me to know who Big Thief were, but I never took the time to digest them. My favorite song of theirs was
"Mythological Beauty" and i did listen to Adrianne's solo record, but to be honest, i found most of their work to be basic boring folk music.

Review: I was preparing myself to say the same thing about this record and on first listen, it did sound a big boring, samey, and what you would expect from this band. Granted, i haven't listened to enough of their music to be able to recite a song in my head. I guess I needed to take off my kpop hat for this record because there aren't songs that would sound good on a workout playlist, but I found myself getting lost in the music, especially in the first half.  Due to the overall length, its probably normal that the 2nd half felt tiring, but i remained captivated. At times, I'm reminded of Mount Eerie and I'm amazed at how her voice can make the melodies to a simply guitar fingering pattern. But on songs like "Little Things" where it's cluttered with noise, it sounds so joyful.

Summary: Not the biggest believer in the band, but this album convinced me otherwise. So many good songs.

Favorite Songs: Time Escaping, Spud Infinity, Little Things, Heavy Bend, Red Moon, No Reason, Wake Me up to Drive, Simulation Swarm.
Rating: 9/10

Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever

Release Date: July 30th, 2021
Genre: downtempo, electropop

How do you follow up the album of the year?

Review: n/a

Tracklist/Scorecard:
1. Getting Older 8/10
2. I Didn't Change My Number 8/10
3. Billie Bossa Nova 8/10
4. my future 8/10
5. Oxytocin 8/10
6. GOLDWING 6/10
7. Lost Cause 6/10
8. Halley's Comet 8/10
9. Not My Responsibility 8/10
10. OverHeated 7/10
11. Everybody Dies 7/10
12. Your Power 8/10
13. NDA 6/10
14. Therefore I Am 6/10
15. Happier Than Ever 5/10
16. Male Fantasy 10/10

Summary: Her debut had an element of surprise because it didn't sound like anything on the radio, and I knew this album wasn't going to follow in that direction based on the singles. I actually liked the first 5 tracks or so, and then it kind of became normal. Like it sounds fine when actively listening, but nothing that makes me want to press repeat. There's a spoken word song here that stood out, "Not My Responsibility" that made me think "o wow" because of how she dealt with negative criticism. The album ends with 4 back to back tracks that all feel bad. I like her old stuff that had something cozy or quirky, but I thought NDA and the title track were simply bad interpretations of what Billie Eillsh should sound like. "Male Fantasy" is probably my favorite song on this album because it has good lyrics and good instrumentals.

Key Tracks: Getting Older, Male Fantasy
Rating: 7/10

Bad Boy Chiller Crew - Don't You Worry About Me

 

Release Date: February 19th, 2021

"don't worry about me"

This song sounds like something I would put on a playlist just to make my friend say "what the fuck is this?" But since it's 2021, let's not be too critical. The chorus sounds like generic EDM because it's pretty and sung by a female vocalist, but these BBCC guys, with their thick UK accent, just go hard during the rap verses. No disrespect, but they sound like they are just fuckin' around and I can't help but laugh at how over-the-top this sounds.

Rating: 8/10

Billie Eilish - Your Power

 

Release Date: April 29, 2021

"power isn't pain"

go billie. It's a nice song with guitar strumming. Not very memorable compared to her other singles, but I'm happy she's not making repeating her debut album's aesthetic.

Rating: 8/10

Bon Iver - Bon Iver, Bon Iver

Release Date: 06/21/11
Genre: Indie Folk

My Story: What a long way this guy has come. I used to visit the metacritic forums back when they had it and during the 2008 years, lots of members were discussing the validity of Bon Iver's inclusion because it was self-released in 2007, but didn't get much attention til it was re-released. I honestly didn't think it was that engaging since I was into Fleet Foxes, Laura Marling and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. Those guys had melodies and hooks.

I started embracing him more when i heard his song from the Dark Was The Night compilation and then his EP, Blood Bank. I started to respect him more and more and appreciated his voice. My honest approach to the new album was expecting the same old stuff. And for a while, that's what i thought. In the last month, I went to play Star Wars: KotoR II because i never got the chance to and it wouldnt let me use window mode so i just picked an album to give me background music. Bon Iver was one of them.

Since I didn't want to alternate between songs, i just let the album play out without looking at the tracklist. Even if i get bored, it pulls me back in. Now with enough listens, i can say it's one of the most beautiful albums of the year.

Favorite Songs: Holocene, Calgary, Beth/Rest
Rating: 9.5/10

Birtney Spears - Femme Fatale

Release Date: 3/25/11
Genre: Dance/Pop


Review: Hurray for Britney! Sometimes auto-tune is used effectively (Trip To Your Heart) and other times, it feels excessive((Drop Dead) Beautiful), but hey, she's a nice escape from reality. The first 5 tracks really kept me going, but towards the end, the sound didn't feel special enough. Like it wasn't Britney bringing her game, it was the producers. Still, Til The World Ends is ridiculous good.

Favorite Songs: Til The World Ends, I Wanna Go, How I Roll
Rating: 6.3/10