ajcollins15 | Sputnikmusic

	Sungazer Perihelion The more I listen to this album the more I am reminded of bands like Polyphia, Animals as Leaders, and especially Plini. However, this album is not really anywhere near progressive rock or metal. That flaring guitar music and mathematical fusion keep this debut album from two YouTube gurus, bassist Adam Neely and drummer/synths Shawn Crowder, help to create a rich and explosive nu-jazz album that holds a lot of great concepts and ideas throughout. There are a lot of wonky and chiptune-style electronics all throughout this album to keep it very intricate and creative. A definite listen if you want something new and exciting in the world of jaz	4.0 10.14.21
	Bilmuri 400LB BACK SQUAT Swancore has never sounded so explorative and Bilmuri continues to show why he could branch into new heights with this sound. It might not be perfect, but the wide variety of sounds and ideas keeps the somewhat current stagnant nature of swancore a little bit alive.	3.5 10.14.21
	Invent Animate The Sun Sleeps, As If It Never Was If the ending of the last song was a little stronger, this would be a perfect EP. Drug addiction is no joke, especially for those who have been struggling with it for years. This new EP from one of the last remaining classic metalcore bands, which doesn?t sound cheesy, tackles that idea and the constant highs and lows of that topic. Plus, it?s backed by smothering screams, heavy djent riffs, and heavy atmospheric synths. Great little EP from the band.	4.5 10.14.21
	boylife gelato A decent little indie RnB & rap album that show cases strong performances but doesn?t sound any different than the ones who have made this sound so famous (i.e., Frank Ocean and Brockhampton). For example, ?bummy? sounds exactly like a Brockhampton track right off their saturation series in 2019. But still, the performances on that track are extremely strong and Ryan Yoo has a wide range of rapping and signing styles which could help him stand out from his obvious influences. Also, the small bits of experimentation could help him also stand out.	3.0 10.14.21
	James Blake Friends That Break Your Heart At this point in James Blake's career, it seems like he is a little bit lost in what he wants to do with his sound. His sound has evolved drastically since his UK garage days in the early 2010s to now encompass a heavy dose of ambient pop and trip-hop. On his fifth album, he doubles down on that ambient pop sound and stripes back on the trip-hop influences. Tracks like ?Famous Last Words?, ?Life Is Not The Same?, ?Coming Back?, and ?Funeral? are all beautifully arranged and orchestrated tracks that blatantly look at sadness in its purest form. I can?t stop listening to them and feeling so cold and isolated and that?s what makes them great. Ev	3.5 10.14.21
	The Alchemist This Thing Of Ours, Vol. 2 Can?t wait to make enemies with this but I have to say the quick and simple nature of these EP?s from the legendary producer highlights what makes abstract hip-hop so amazing. Then as soon as the album starts to get stale it?s over. Look I understand the classics of people like MF DOOM and the reinvention of people like Earl Sweatshirt make people love this sound. But, god there are some unnecessary lengthy and boring abstract hip-hop albums out there today, and especially this year. This is a great showing of the campy nature of abstract hip-hop without completely leaving you in the woods. My biggest complaint is ?Flying Spirit? is a weird h	4.0 10.14.21
	Magdalena Bay Mercurial World Magdalena Bay's debut album is everything I have ever hoped for from the band, while also completely going above and beyond my expectations; synthpop will never be the same for me from now on. Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin floored the electronic and synthpop scenes when they came out with their truly timeless mixtape series and 2019 dual EP day/pop and night/pop. However, what also felt off about those outings was the lack of cohesion. On the LA-based duos debut album, they show not only what can happen when all those ideas come together, but show what truly amazing modern synthpop should sound like. Take the lead single ?Secrets (Your Fir	4.5 10.14.21