Wiz Khalifa - Khalifa

Bringing you the soundtrack for stoners everywhere this year is Wiz Khalifa, offering up Khalifa. Wiz brings his signature trap rap game to the table, continuing to appeal to only stoners and those who think doing drugs make them cool. It’s an album that has little to offer to consumers outside of it’s intended audience but does have some small moments.

The greater majority of the album has little to offer instrumental. Most of it is trap beats on top of repetitive synth lines. There are some surprising moments on the album that over some variety, though. ‘Elevated’ - the only standout track on the album - has a great instrumental featuring a piano/synth line on top of an atmospheric bass synth, with a wonderful piano outro to top off the song. ‘Call Waiting’ also has a notable instrumental, featuring use of brass and being particularly jazzy. ‘iSay’, which features Juicy J., ruined by the lyrics, would be another great track with it’s driving piano instrumental. Much of the album just gets repetitive and stays relative to a formula of simple beats and minimalist noises that don’t offer any color to spice up the tracks.

Lyrically, it’s exactly what you’d expect from Wiz Khalifa. Besides exceptions in ‘Elevated’ and ‘Zoney’, while they do share similar themes with the rest of the songs, actually makes good use of the lyrics, the album is almost completely about getting high or being drunk. The lead single, ‘Bake Sale’ with Travis Scott and ‘Lit’ with Ty Dolla $ign are probably the lyrical low points on the record, literally offering nothing of worth besides the sentiment of weed. There really isn’t much to say lyrically about the album... ‘Elevated’ has some substance, but overall the album doesn’t have great lyrics at all. ‘Zoney’ features his son Sebastian on it, making the ending a pretty cute moment, but that doesn’t save the entire tracks from what it is - another average song on the album.

Wiz Khalifa brought little to the table with Khalifa, though if you’re looking for a record to put on whilst getting high, this might be just the album to party to. Other than the pop appeal and angst magnets, Khalifa is a flop. If you don’t fall under its demographic, there’s little chance you’ll enjoy it. There’s nothing worth focusing on - the instrumentals are repetitive and the lyrics sloppy and lack any meaning. Perhaps for his next record, reducing the amount of drugs in the studio may help the quality. Maybe.

Favorite Tracks: Elevated

Least Favorite Tracks: Lit, Make A Play, Most Of Us

Rating: 4.5/10

Kanye West - The Life Of Pablo

Yeezus is back! After one of the most hyped up releases of the last 12 months, Kanye West has returned to the scene with The Life Of Pablo, a massive album with eighteen tracks clocking in just under an hour, as well as whole slew of notable guests. After the abrasive Yeezus in 2013, it was hard to predict where West would go next. Pablo brings back some of Kanye’s classic elements that made him so notable and also incorporates his current form and mindset, some tracks even being a considerate view of who he is.

The album kicks off with the massive, slow moving giant of a prayer, ‘Ultralight Beam’ which boasts brooding synths and a giant gospel backing it. The song, while absolutely huge, is relatively minimalistic in its execution, its layers and constant introduction of new elements making it the monster it is. Both ‘FML’ featuring The Weeknd and ‘Real Friends’ with Ty Dolla $ign have a similarly simplistic instrumental that Kanye manipulates in such a way that makes them sound grand. ‘Ultralight Beam’ has more guests than any other song on the entire album, boasting features from Chance The Rapper, The-Dream, Kelly Price, and Kirk Franklin. The-Dream’s clean vocals in the first verse at a lot of color and emotion to the song that’s already a heavy hitter. All of the guest stars add something to the song that make it the album’s masterpiece.

This album isn’t all about the slow moving heartbreakers, though. The album mostly consists of wild, jammable tracks with these little bursts of emotion in between. ‘No More Parties In L.A.’ featuring Kendrick Lamar in particular is a very “get up and move” track, with a strong verse from Kendrick and a funky instrumental. ‘30 Hours’ with André 3000 also has a driving beat, as well as ‘Facts’, which is perhaps the thickest and heaviest track on the record. The latter track is riddled with thick synths and a cinematic and evil-sounding backing instrumental that will definitely blow some speakers live. ‘Fade’ with Post Malone and Ty Dolla $ign has another funky instrumental, making the ending of the album just as triumphant as its beginning. Sampling ruins some tracks, such as in ‘Waves’ with Chris Brown where it immediately starts off and its disjointed and awful. ‘Wolves’ which features Frank Ocean and Caroline Shaw (and, in its superior demo form, Sia) has an interesting elephant sample at the end of it which adds a lot of flavor to it.

Lyrically, Kanye is either hit or miss. Sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what he’s rapping about, though it’s not necessarily easy to understand what he’s saying on a regular basis anyway. There are some heart touching moments such as those found on ‘Ultralight Beam’, but Kanye goes pretty hard throughout the album, such as on tracks like ‘Feedback’ and ‘Facts’ where Kanye fires shots left and right at specifics or the industry. There’s also that line on ‘Famous’ with Rihanna that has a certain line regarding Taylor Swift that’s a bit questionable. Kanye’s flow is overall pretty consistent and fresh in each song. Songs like ‘Freestyle 4′ are hard to grasp - it’s literally just him growling - but get by by having some strong moments. ‘Father Stretch My Hands’, which features Kid Cudi, is a stranger track, ‘Pt. II’ which boasts a spot with Desiigner of the song being much stronger albeit shorter. ‘I Love Kanye’ is literally a satire of himself, which is good to see - someone with such a serious persona can let go and make fun of himself. Always refreshing.

The Life Of Pablo is now Graduation or Late Registration. Nor is it a sequel to Yeezus. It is its own work of art that takes Kanye too a new level, showing his growth as an artist and even as a person. Some lesser moments on the album make this album fall short of being a masterpiece, and unfortunately when these moments happen they may completely ruin one song. But Kanye has proven he is still an authority in the music world, and even though he may be a dick in his own time, his music is pretty good.

Favorite Tracks: Ultralight Beam, Facts, Wolves, Real Friends

Least Favorite Tracks: Waves, Low Lights, Highlights

Rating: 8/10

Top Albums Of 2016 (so far):

1. Panic! At The Disco - Death Of A Bachelor
2. Dream Theater - The Astonishing
3. Daughter - Not To Disappear
4. David Bowie - ★
5. BANNERS - BANNERS
6. Savages - Adore Life
7. Kanye West - The Life Of Pablo
8. Sia - This Is Acting
9. Grizfolk - Waking Up The Giants
10. Rihanna - ANTI

Future - EVOL

Atlanta-native hip hop artist Future just released his third major album in under a year, other releases including 2015′s DS2 and his collaboration with Drake, What A Time To Be Alive. He also released a mixtape in January, entitled Purple Reign. With major releases one after another after the success of DS2, Future became the fastest hip hop artist to get three consecutive number one albums on the Billboard 100. Sadly, throughout all the hype, Future still can’t deliver much substance. EVOL continues his journey through success but also continues to saturate his sound.

Future’s music is catchy and good to vibe out too, that goes without saying. The problem with this album is that every beat sounds the same. It’s the same programmed 16th note hi-hat and snare hit in each song, with the deep underground beats doing essentially the same thing. Every song does have a different synth line on top of it that proves to be interesting at times. ‘Maybach’ has a particularly interesting synth line that sounds like they programmed an acoustic guitar progression over the synth. There are some big moments in the instrumentals, but that’s basically all of the good moments of the album. ‘Lil Haiti Baby’, the album’s success story, is pretty big with a big band section in the background blaring horns like it’s the theme song of “Rocky”. ‘Fly Shit Only’ has an interesting instrumental too it, as well, the only thing stopping the acoustic guitar backing from being great is the excessive clipping in it. ‘Seven Rings’ has a pretty thick beat and a great, atmospheric middle eastern bell vibe going on.

Another problem in much of Future’s music is that most of his raps lack any conviction. In songs like ‘Seven Rings’, he goes hard, rapping as if he believes in his message. Other songs such as ‘In Her Mouth’ just sound like he’s reading off a paper, without any message in his voice, as if he’s doing it just to get the payments in. He has an acceptable flow throughout his music that has come to characterize him, as well as his taking to minimalistic and distant instrumentals. He doesn’t like to edge away from his trademark flow and experiment, sadly. The album doesn’t contain much singing, except for in ‘Low Life’, where The Weeknd is featured. That would usually mean something huge, with one of 2015′s biggest artists guesting on your track. However, the lyrics don’t fit it at all. His singing is too sensual for the track and the words he’s getting across. Sampling wise there isn’t too much going on, besides the miserable use of the overused sample in ‘Lie To Me’ that automatically makes the song a failure.

Future’s new album EVOL is a blessing to Future fans, as they’re getting more new material than they can handle within the last year. Unfortunately, with this influx of music and a lack of experimentation, Future brings little to offer. There are some big tracks on the album and from a listener’s standpoint, it’s quite enjoyable is you take any track separately. Altogether, it just becomes boring and hard to get through. Hopefully Future takes some time to work on his next effort, in order to make his material more diverse.

Favorite Tracks: Fly Shit Only, Seven Rings, Lil Haiti Baby

Least Favorite Tracks: Lie To Me, Program, Xanny Family, Low Life

Rating: 4.5/10

Dream Theater - The Astonishing

The art of storytelling can go beyond just a book. However, in The Astonishing’s case, a novel might be necessary. Dream Theater’s thirteenth studio effort, The Astonishing, is a musical told through a two hour-long epic double album. Along with an epic storyline that captures its listener, The Astonishing is a musically impressive and diverse album sure to stun any listener.

The story of the album takes place in 2258, in the northeastern United States, which has become the dystopian territory of the Great Northern Empire Of America, ruled by Emperor Nafaryus, Empress Arabelle, Prince Daryus, and Princess Faythe. All entertainment has been sacrificed, the robotic NOMACS’ electronic noise. There exists one man, Gabriel, who has the power to sing and unite the people. This album tells the long epic tale of his journey to free the region from oppression.

Before addressing the storyline in detail, the music of the album should be addressed. It’s everything you’d expect from a musical: operatic (not an opera, since the album contains some spoken word), grand, and invigorating. The album’s opener tracks, ‘Descent Of The NOMACS’ and ‘Dystopian Overture’ paint a vivid picture of the setting of the story: dark, oppressive, and moody. Every single song is this album perfectly represents each point of the plot. You’ll rejoice at the uplifting sounds of ‘The Gift Of Music’ and ‘Our New World’, but tense up at critical parts of the story such as ‘A Tempting Offer’ and ‘The Walking Shadow’. The performing is just as great as the story - massive orchestra under intense riffs define the album sonically. Epic, soaring guitar solos can be found in ‘The New Beginning’, ‘Moment Of Betrayal’, and more. That doesn’t leave out some softer moments, too: beautiful piano ballads like ‘When Your Time Has Come’ and ‘Ravenskill’ are present, as well as some tracks beginning with acoustic guitars like ‘A Life Left Behind’ and ‘Astonishing’. Some diverse elements find their way into the album, too. Bagpipes are present at the end of ‘The X Aspect’, ragtime and jazz influences can be found in ‘Three Days’, and marching band influences make their way into the epic conclusion of the album, ‘Astonishing’. There are too many epic moments on this album to count. Every song has its niche and tells its part of the story perfectly.

The story of the album has very carefully been written into every song. The introduction tracks introduce the setting, ‘The Gift Of Music’ introduces Gabriel, the protagonist, and ‘The Answer’ tells of his significance. The album starts taking a darker turn with ‘A Better Life’, when Xander, Gabriel’s brother and leader of the Ravenskill Rebel Militia, is introduced, and this dark then continues when Nafaryus makes his way to Ravenskill to see Gabriel for himself. The beauty of the album returns after ‘A Savior In The Square’, and the love arc between Gabriel and Faythe begins in ‘Act Of Faythe’. ‘Three Days’ returns to the urgency of the plot, and the action of the story begins to rise and take form. No song on this album serves as a filler - every song tells its progressive part of the plot, not leaving anything untouched, and inspiring the emotion of the characters and scene in its listener. Tragedy strikes in the second half of the record, leading to the tragic conflict in the love arc (in ‘Losing Faythe’). The following track, ‘Whispers On The Wind’, describes how Gabriel can’t use his gift to save his love after being accidentally attacked in ‘The Walking Shadow’, due to his scream causing him to lose his voice. But, what follows is one of the most beautiful moments of the album: ‘Hymn Of A Thousand Voices’, where his followers give him the strength to save Faythe and complete his quest. By the closure track, Gabriel has triumphantly freed his people from oppression and can move the region into a new and bright future.

Something as grand and electrifying as this can only come from the likes of Dream Theater. Every note plays a part in the story, and every song is crucial to the plot. The mood of the story is perfectly captured in each song, and in such a vivid way it’s as if you’re watching it all unfold before your very eyes. Dream Theater has proven themselves as one of the most eclectic and exciting bands of progressive rock, delivering one of their most brilliant works. The Astonishing is a timeless classic, for sure.

Favorite Tracks: Moment Of Betrayal, Hymn Of A Thousand Voices, Three Days

Least Favorite Tracks: The Answer, Digital Discord

Rating: 9/10

Top Albums Of 2016 (so far):

1. Panic! At The Disco - Death Of A Bachelor
2. Dream Theater - The Astonishing
3. Daughter - Not To Disappear
4. David Bowie - ★
5. BANNERS - BANNERS
6. Savages - Adore Life
7. Sia - This Is Acting
8. Grizfolk - Waking Up The Giants
9. Rihanna - ANTI
10. Megadeth - Dystopia

Sia - This Is Acting

The songwriting queen of the pop scene, Sia, topped January off with an album full of pop jams. Almost every track on her new effort This Is Acting was written for another artist, unlike her last effort, 1,000 Forms Of Fear which featured her turning pop hits into the pain and struggle of living with bipolar disorder and drug addiction.

The album has a pretty diverse soundscape. There’s the piano-pop ballads, ‘Bird Set Free’ and ‘Alive’, while there are also the feel good radio bangers like ‘Reaper’ and ‘Cheap Thrills’. Sia channels her inner Adele on ‘Alive’ (since the song was written for and about her), but keeps the strength of her voice evident in other tracks like ‘Footprints’ and ‘Unstoppable’, the latter of which could be this album’s toned down ‘Chandelier’ (musically, at least). ‘Unstoppable’ brings out a punchy brass sound towards the end, building up the track dominated by massive synthscapes and a huge beat to an epic climax. She adds some worldly flavors into the mix, too: ‘Broken Glass’ has some eastern vibes sewn into it, and the track intended for Shakira, ‘Move Your Body’, retains some Latin elements and the flashiness expected from a Shakira track. Sia’s instrumentals always have tons of texture and layers to them that leave every listen with something new to discover. Try dissecting every background vocal melody in bonus track ‘Fist Fighting A Sandstorm’ and you’ll get a sense of all of the complexity that is interlaced into these tracks.

While diverse, the album has a major flaw: it lacks integrity, in a sense. Barring the quirky ‘One Million Bullets’, basically every other song on the album was written for a different artist. Rihanna turned down ‘Bird Set Free’, ‘Cheap Thrills’, ‘Reaper’, and ‘Space Between’, while Adele also let go of a few tracks. Other artists such as Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez can also be credited to turning down ‘Footprints’ and ‘Sweet Design’, respectively. Writing songs for other artists and then recording them yourself takes something away from it. Not necessarily the meaning of the song (though ‘Alive’ is a big counter against that, as it’s literally about Adele), but perhaps the artist’s connection. A powerful performance can be taken a step further if the artist feels something resonating in them while performing this song. This Is Acting is full of great moments for Sia, but most songs have some sense of distance between her and the meaning.

This collection of songs written for other artists were given one more chance for their chance in the limelight by their composer, Sia, who took these rejects and turned them into her own. Some artists really missed out on incredible works. Sia’s powerful voice and artistic visions pull through again on her seventh record. Hopefully her next effort will feature more work intended for herself and not others - that’s the next step to making a true pop masterpiece. Until then, this album has plenty of tracks to jam to.

Favorite Tracks: Bird Set Free, Footprints, Alive, Reaper

Least Favorite Tracks: Move Your Body, Sweet Design

Rating: 7.5/10

Top Albums Of 2016 (so far):

1. Panic! At The Disco - Death Of A Bachelor
2. Daughter - Not To Disappear
3. David Bowie - ★
4. BANNERS - BANNERS
5. Savages - Adore Life
6. Sia - This Is Acting
7. Grizfolk - Waking Up The Giants
8. Rihanna - ANTI
9. Megadeth - Dystopia
10. Krallice - Hyperion

Anderson. Paak - Malibu

California R&B artist Anderson .Paak is back with his second full studio effort, Malibu, the album meant to serve as his breakthrough commercial success, and while it does achieve that feat, it still falls a bit short musically. Chocked full of hip-hop vibes and soul twangs, Malibu gives you a Californian feel but over saturates it by including a bit too much.

This album does have its ups. Opener track ‘The Bird’ is a chill track featuring clean guitar chords, jazz backgrounds, a laidback hip-hop beat, and a gospel backing it. The song is pretty minimalistic, never becoming too layered at any point. But, it does make use of many elements that make it a very diverse track. It’s a great song to walk through the streets with on a rainy day, with it’s piano licks and trumpet punches. ‘Put Me Thru’ is another standout on the album, a bigger track than ‘The Bird’, inspiring a scene of riding through Los Angeles. Backed again by a gospel, it has a punchier vibe with pianos and grander guitar licks. The album’s basslines throughout are all very funky, and a highlight of every song.

Unfortunately for .Paak, the praise has to end there. Throughout a good majority of the album, most songs sound like carbon copies of songs from other artists. ‘The Waters’ featuring BJ The Chicago Kid sounds straight off a Kendrick Lamar album. The album also has issues using certain elements effectively - the random background noise in ‘Heart Don’t Stand A Chance’ make it no more than annoying to listen to, which is a shame, since the song is fairly solid without the added noise. By the end of the album, everything begins to sound repetitive, too. The songs have good messages, though unlike ‘Your Prime’ which covers the story of a woman who gets around and can’t stay loyal, the real meanings get lost. The album becomes boring and uninteresting by the end, and with an album that contains sixteen tracks that clocks in over an hour, that can’t be something that happens.

.Paak’s commercial success is good from a spectator’s point of view. If it’s not your thing, it’s a pretty big flop. The album does, in fairness, have some catchy licks and melodies, but isn’t able to keep these good moments consistently rolling, causing the album to fall short of what it could be. At least it has the basslines. Hopefully .Paak doesn’t lose those on his next effort.

Favorite Tracks: The Bird, Put Me Thru

Least Favorite Tracks: Heart Don’t Stand A Chance, Silicon Valley

Rating: 6/10

Top Albums Of 2016 (so far):

1. Panic! At The Disco - Death Of A Bachelor
2. Daughter - Not To Disappear
3. David Bowie - ★
4. BANNERS - BANNERS
5. Savages - Adore Life
6. Grizfolk - Waking Up The Giants
7. Rihanna - ANTI
8. Megadeth - Dystopia
9. Krallice - Hyperion
10. Anderson. Paak - Malibu

Deftones - 'Prayers/Triangles'

First track review - let’s do it.

After a four year studio silence since 2012′s Koi No Yokan, Deftones are finally back and spacier than ever. Due out in April, Gore will be the band’s eighth album and the lead single, ‘Prayers/Triangles’, which also serves as the intro track of the album is now out, featuring the band taking a very progressive turn.

The song begins with vibes that serve as a throwback to Around The Fur’s ‘Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)’, beginning without climax, but with a reverberating guitar that sounds like something from the unreleased Eros (with the indications from ‘Smile’) and a light drum beat following it. The chorus bursts in powerfully, huge and demanding, every element commanding attention. The song has some of Deftones’ most atmospheric sounds the band has ventured into, the song sounding huge and expansive. The songs epic conclusion has the song turn full gear into a heavy wall of sound that sounds crushing and huge. The song does suffer a little from mixing inconsistencies, though it makes up for it by being so big.

This song has a lot going on lyrically, too. Chino Moreno’s vocals are full of tension in the verses and enchanting in the choruses, while still being packed full of anger and beg for something in the bridge and outro. The lyrics kick off intense right off the bat: “There's a new strange godless demon awake inside of me / There's a force divine terrorizing the ages I keep while we dream.” The song seems to be about a realization that eats its narrator up, as they realize the realities of it. The “new strange godless demon” is the thoughts they have that they don’t want to accept, but know is true. The “force divine terrorizing the ages I keep while I dream” are those thoughts tampering with the truth they want to believe. The chorus cries, “Prayers, lay it on the line / You will never be free... / Triangles, placed in your mind / You will never be free,” the narrator battles between the wishes they have for reality and the actual truth they must begin to accept. The bridge cries: “Beware / Now we will never walk this street again / The only time I feel I'm not alone / I pull my heart out, wave it in the air” and the narrator lets his true thoughts out as the truth solidifies within them. Chino specializes in all things about love and sensuality, and never fails to provide sexual yet provoking lyrics in every one of his songs, especially Deftones material.

Gore is set to be a standout in Deftones’ discography, and in all of music in 2016. The band seem to be taking a different approach to their music. While this song is definitely a Deftones song (you can just tell), there is something unique about it. Perhaps its spaciousness, though that is reminiscent both of Saturday Night Wrist and Eros. Only time will tell what Deftones have in store for this album. It’s bound to be massive.

Rating: 9/10

Top Songs Of 2016 (so far):

1. Aurora - 'Murder Song (5, 4, 3, 2, 1) (Acoustic)'
2. Panic! At The Disco - 'Emperor's New Clothes'
3. Deftones - 'Prayers/Triangles'
4. Daughter - 'New Ways'
5. Savages - 'The Answer'
6. David Bowie - 'Blackstar'
7. Rihanna - 'Desperado'
8. Grizfolk - 'Wide Awake'
9. BANNERS - 'Shine A Light'

Megadeth - Dystopia

Who said hair metal was dead? Trash metallers Megadeth have marched into 2016 loud with their fifteenth studio album, Dystopia, and it’s a doozy. Packed to the brim with giant riffs and electrifying solos, the album is a blast to the hair metal movement while still maintaining a modern (or futuristic, I should say) tone.

Kicking off immediately huge is intro track ‘The Threat Is Real’ that is tinged with Middle Eastern vibes and a massive riff accompanied by crushing drumming. The album continues to deliver powerful, headbanger riffs like in the title track ‘Dystopia’ and ‘Fatal Illusion’, but also takes some interesting turns. ‘Poisonous Shadows’ features an outro with spoken word, a piano piece performed by guitarist Kiko Loureiro, and subtle strings. The song, as well as ‘Post American World’ and ‘Conquer Or Die!’ feature acoustic guitars in them, the later of which is an instrumental take takes a break from Dave Mustaine’s raspy vocals. The closure track is a cover of ‘Foreign Policy’ by hardcore punk outfit Fear, giving the song the Megadeth vibe of hair raising riffs and Mustaine’s powerful voice. Much of the album also features a particularly particularly apocalyptic sound to compliment the theme of the album, that being of a future society overcome by science (seems to be a trend lately) and oppression. Lyrically, the album follows the formula of futuristic society full of anarchy and rebellion complimented by the oppressive instrumentals. Admittedly, the album does get a bit dull after the first few tracks if you listen through it consecutively, as the formula of big riffs and tremendous choruses does get old. Luckily, the second half of the album brings in some unexpected elements that add some color to the album.

Dystopia goes to show that you can never kill off music. Debuting at Number 3 on the Billboard 200, it’s Megadeth’s second highest charting album, and in 2016! It’s huge success compliments how huge of an album it is. Through the ages, the band has continued to develop its huge sound and make its mark on metal. Headbanging can’t be killed.

Favorite Songs: The Threat Is Real, Poisonous Shadows, Fatal Illusion

Least Favorite Tracks: Lying In State, Bullet In The Brain

Rating: 7/10

Top Albums Of 2016 (so far):

1. Panic! At The Disco - Death Of A Bachelor
2. Daughter - Not To Disappear
3. David Bowie - ★
4. BANNERS - BANNERS
5. Savages - Adore Life
6. Grizfolk - Waking Up The Giants
7. Rihanna - ANTI
8. Megadeth - Dystopia

Grizfolk - Waking Up The Giants

Alternative rock and electronic Los Angeles outfit Grizfolk’s debut album, Waking Up The Giants is out, and it’s pretty big. Full of huge atmospheres complimented by pulsating synths and loud powerchords, Grizfolk’s premiere is triumphant and definitely will get the masses moving.

The band does a great job at mixing their rock and electronic sound together and balancing them in each track. Opener ‘Into The Barrens’ starts off loud and strong, flaunting its big guitar sound but then falls into a widely electronic-led soundscape. The title track, ‘Waking Up The Giants’ does this too, beginning with an acoustic guitar and a small synth line that builds up into subtle choruses backed by a deep beat and loud synths. In the new single ‘Troublemaker’, vocalist Adam Roth gets some rock n’ roll vibes on top of a standard rock song, backed by brooding synthesizer bass and bent guitar chords. ‘Bob Marley’, while not embodying its namesake, also see Roth using the raspier side of his voice. Pop rock appeal shines strong in songs like ‘Hymnals’ and ’Waiting For You’. Some songs take a simpler approach, such as ‘The Struggle’ which sounds like a quieter Imagine Dragons.

While the first half is chock full of feel-good poppier tracks, the second half is more of a roadtrip album, filled with fantastic folk rock ballads with some great lyrics and tells somewhat of a love story. ‘Waiting For You’ has some country influences (especially in the vocals of the chorus and acoustic guitar), though the synths still prevail as a main component of the song. ‘Vagabonds’ is a standout track on the album, featuring a wonderful bassline from Brendan James, which adds so much color to an already sweet track. It’s during this second half of the album that the band takes a bit of a different direction. ‘Cosmic Angel’ is an acoustic track that builds up into a driving ballad led by guitars and a soft vocal line. ‘Bohemian Bird’ is another poetic tack that begins soft and builds up into something more expansive. The album’s closure track, ‘Wide Awake’, it a representation of everything this album built up to its name: loud guitar choruses and synth walls backing the verses and choruses lead to a triumphant closing track.

Grizfolk’s debut record is a lovely mix of electronic rock combined with alternative rock, something that’s becoming increasingly hard to find a good balance of. Waking Up The Giants does it very well, though the synths do seem more prevalent. The second half of the album is a gold mine of beautiful written tracks, while the first is full of feel good rock songs. A great album to debut on - they definitely have room to grow, but if this album is any indication of their musical possibilities, the future is bright.

Favorite Tracks: Wide Awake, Into The Barrens, Vagabonds, Waiting For You

Least Favorite Tracks: Bob Marley, The Struggle

Rating: 7.5/10

Top Albums Of 2016 (so far):

1. Panic! At The Disco - Death Of A Bachelor
2. Daughter - Not To Disappear
3. David Bowie - ★
4. BANNERS - BANNERS
5. Savages - Adore Life
6. Grizfolk - Waking Up The Giants
7. Rihanna - ANTI

Rihanna - ANTI

Pop’s true rebel queen is back. After a four year gap since Unapologetic, Rihanna has returned with her next studio album that embodies the sensualities of life. ANTI, while released under unfavorable circumstances, to say the least,  is here and is full of pop bangers that will definitely blow up the airwaves.

The album begins with the groovy ‘Consideration’, a nostalgia-inducing track with an accompanying lo-fi, almost 8-bit beat backing it and groovy bass line. This track really sets the stage for Rihanna’s attitude exhibited in most of this album, and introduced the central subject of many tracks: love. Rihanna has a very calm yet somewhat tired - or annoyed - demeanor behind it. Another highlight track is ‘Desparado’, the most badass track on the album. Instigating a cowboy vibe tinged with the soundscape of a rich man’s hotel, this song serves as the biggest track on the album, making the most of its relatively intimate sound. There’s not much going on it - background harmonies are subtle, the percussion isn’t anything flashy, the bass line following the deep piano chords. What makes this track so huge is its HUGE bass and Rihanna’s brooding lyrics (”If you want, we could be runaways / Running from any sight of love / Yeah, yeah, there ain't nothing / There ain't nothing here for me / There ain't nothing here for me anymore / But I don't wanna be alone”). The final quarter of the album features some stand out tracks. ‘Never Ending’ is the acoustic ballad that movie trailers will eat up, beautifully featuring a lovely vocal performance from Rihanna and a largely simple track that builds up ever so slightly to keep the track flowing by the end. The instrumental for ‘Love On The Brain’ feels like it was taken straight from a Beatles song and plastered with synths. Rihanna channels here inner Sia and delivers some of her best vocal work on the album. The accompanying orchestral punches and gospel influences add a lot of color to the track, too. The symphonic Sia sound is evident on ‘Higher’, as well. The closing track on this album, ‘Close To You’, is the most stripped back on the entire record, and features only Rihanna backed by piano, eventually resolving with an orchestra and acoustic guitar, and is one of the most beautiful tracks on the album - an excellent closure to an album centered around love.

This album, however, does have it’s weak points. The three track run form ‘James Joint’ to ‘Work’ is the lowest point of the album. ‘James Joint’ seems to rip off Flying Lotus, and the lyrics sound like a confused teenager wrote them. ‘Kiss It Better’ is horribly cliché, straight out of the 80s. While it is admittedly catchy, it has no real substance to it that would separate it as a song of its own. ‘Work’ also isn’t bad on its own, but the Drake feature feels wasted with an uninspired first and repetitive lyrics.

Rihanna’s ANTI definitely has a powerful message to deliver - girl power. Love isn’t just a man’s game. Rihanna makes this evident throughout the album, singing of desire and passion. The album starts strong but immediately falls off, only improving in the latter two thirds of the album, and in a big way. The rebel queen is set to make her mark on 2016. These songs will be all over the radio.

Favorite Tracks: Desperado, Never Ending, Closer To You, Consideration (ft. SZA)

Least Favorite Tracks: James Joint, Kiss It Better, Work (ft. Drake)

Rating: 7/10

Top Albums Of 2016 (so far):

1. Panic! At The Disco - Death Of A Bachelor
2. Daughter - Not To Disappear
3. David Bowie - ★
4. BANNERS - BANNERS
5. Savages - Adore Life
6. Rihanna - ANTI