Average Rating: 4.09 Rating Variance: 0.26 Objectivity Score: 51% (Somewhat Balanced)
Sort by: Rating | Release Date | Rating Date | Name5.0 classicJulian Lage View with a RoomListening to this guy play guitar is such constant pleasure. The way he prioritizes different approaches to the chord arrangements is so playful and unique, just a delight. One of the most exciting Jazz records made, in no way a "jazz guitar" record, and really just hyper listenable while still pushing boundaries. The first three cuts are transcendent.4.5 superbCitizen Calling the DogsDave PsychodramaDenzel Curry King of the Mischievous SouthI think this is his best. The track list breathes a lot better and the added songs bring a lot of heat. The whole record feels more fleshed out. Only thing that detracts from it, slightly, is that HOODLUMZ also got released on Playthatboizay's VIP, which it feels like more of a favor to him since Rocky is on it, and doesn't detract too much from the album closer.Freddie Gibbs Soul Sold SeparatelyDeluxe Edition of this takes it to another level. They fixed the sound issues on a couple songs/transitions (PYS is now the same volume as the rest of the record) and the extra tracks are all killer, especially 4 Thangs and Gang Signs. I don't think the skits were really necessary but I get that he wants this to be viewed as his last one/masterpiece so he went with the concept route. As an album I think this one really has the potential to grow, if he'd replaced a couple of the weaker tracks with the best of the Deluxe Edition songs (Decoded also being ridiculous) I think it would've been his best. Like Shadow of a Doubt, lots of variety here, but it works to the albums advantage more and things end on a high note. Best songs: Grandma's Stove, PYS, Space Rabbit, Decoded, CIAIngested The Tide of Death and Fractured Dreamsthis is like the slam/deathcore version of what Horrendous is doing. pretty dense and i'm still digesting (lollll) it but i am a pretty big fan. goes hard.Kublai Khan TX Exhibition of Prowessthis is sick. people call this band simple but their song structures are so complex now compared to their early chuggy stuff. this is like Absolute on steroids. theory of mind is the weakest song on here, everything else is insane. album doesn't overstay it's welcome and holds up with Absolute as the best of their discography. the way the whole band works like a unit on Low Tech is crazyMaxo Kream Brandon BanksMilkavelli Cult MemberUK rap classic. Seems like this guy is kind of a bad dude which isn't surprising given a lot of these lyrics, but man this is such a good record. So much variety, and it ends on such a strong note the last five songs being some of the best.slowthai Nothing Great About BritainAbsolutely love this. Really forward thinking and just its own thing. The beat on the title track is so weird, I can't get enough. Really high quality throughout, slowthai fuses a lot of different sounds and genres to produce something really special. If he can top this I'll be really impressed, amazing year for UK rap. Generally speaking I like it the most when it is hype but Toaster is absolutely amazing. I crank the fuck out of Northampton's Child whenever it comes closing.slowthai TYRON4.0 excellentASAP Ferg Still StrivingThis album is actually so good, definitely Ferg's best. It has aged really well and sounds super modern in 2024, the features are absolutely stacked (with only a few duds) and all the tracks have a really distinct atmosphere. Dirty and sprawling, it's hard to call cuts like Mattress REMIX and Nandos anything but weird, but on a good system they sound absolutely massive. Trap and a Dream, East Coast REMIX, Rubber Band Man all go so hard. I feel like Always Strive and Proper just trashed this guy's reputation, and rightfully so, but Still Striving is probably the best album from A$AP, not including Live Love since it is a mixtape and is largely so good because of Clams Casino. While Trap Lord has some higher highs, this is the most cohesive and interesting album.rThe Nav song and One Night Savage are probably the worst songs, and it's no surprise that they both feel like attempts at something "radio catchy," but the production and energy is still high enough that they don't hinder a full play through too much. Super dense production.Brat Social Gracean amazing meat and potatoes record, never tries to be anything more than what it aspires to be and transcends itself. this is an awesome collection of songs.Dave We're all alone in this togetherMan, tough one to rank. Dave is such a talent, you gotta love it, but my man falls victims to the same pitfalls as on Psychodrama. The highs of this record are high, and the lows are the same self indulgent lows, but it still goes hard. When Dave's on, he's on, and when he's off, he's very much off. The next record gonna be the one I think. Cut the fat. Ditch the monologues. No more nine minute tracks. No more shitty features. Let's go Dave. Quality in, quality out. rSome weak moments here, but you're crazy if you don't see the talent on display. Can't say there's every been a rapper quite like this, can't say there will ever be one after, weaknesses and all.Fit for an Autopsy The Nothing That IsBest of the "new era" I think. My favorite FFAA is Hellbound but this could become my second favorite with time. Was not a big fan of the cleans on their last two albums, but they are great here, and it's not as much of a mid tempo chug fest as The Great Collapse. Could see myself bumping the rating with time. I've heard them labeled as Post Deathcore and it definitely feels true here.Griselda WWCDWhen it's all said and done, this might be the best thing to come out of the Griselda collective. There's some missteps that could've been easily avoided (we didn't need the exact same Raekwon interlude twice) but overall every minute of actual music on here is top notch, even the Eminem guest verse, which is still pretty solid for how annoying new-school Em is. The problem with these guys is that they never drop perfect albums. There's always a few total duds and a few bangers. I think this this album comes the closest to actually producing a coherent piece of art. The beats are insane, and everybody goes in. There's a lot of reasons to return to this one.Kenny Mason RuffsFor this being Kenny's "banger radio hits" album it's weird AF. Just weird choices all around and not in terms of genre switching like his earlier stuff. The songs on here are cohesive in terms of sound but they all vary wildly in vibe, it's weird. Futuristic production, lots of different sounds, this is the kind of project that I think will grow on me for years to come. His new EP 6 is the best rap release of the year IMO but it plays it a lot safer with the (completely amazing) beat choices. This album is super fun though and the second half goes really hard.SeeYouSpaceCowboy The Correlation Between Entrance And Exit WoundsSo good, love the underoath vibes, the interludes are whatever and the long instrumental track is boring, but everything with vocals is sick.SeeYouSpaceCowboy/If I Die First A Sure Disasterreally enjoyed this, most fun split I've heard in awhile, the cleans are kinda cringy and Skylit Drive-esque on If I Die First's side but honestly they are pretty sick, SYSC doing what they do best and IIDF turning out some great songs.Skepta Ignorance Is BlissHonestly, didn't love this at first, and thought it was a step down from Konichiwa. After some time with it though, I am loving it, and the songs have a ton of replayability. The two middle tracks are the weakest, but everything else is awesome, great beats great flows and it all feels effortless. The lyrics on this are more introspective, about the journey to better oneself, it's not easy to pull off a rap song about drinking lots of water but Skepta does it here and he makes it sound cool as fuck.SosMula Sleez Religionalbum is sick, cover art is sick, never would've thought this guy had this many fire tracks in him but its a great front to back listen. Van Halen Live: Right Here, Right Now.It's amazing how hard Sammy sells the cringe on this, he's so uncool that it all comes back around and makes him cool somehow. DLR was impossible to live up to precisely because he really wasn't a singer, but a hype man, but Sammy does his best to give the audience the best of both worlds, crushing vocals on a bunch of Hagar era stuff and doing a solid job on a few DLR classics.rEddie himself is in top form, killer tone and killer chops. I can't give it more than 4 just because the setlist is a little weak but it's the best way to hear a lot of these tracks, and is honestly one of my favorite live albums, partially for the super lolz moments like Sammy doing a Jesus Christ post on the crucified line in Judgement Day (on the DVD) and of course the Right Here Right Now speech in Panama. Legend.rBest cuts: All the DLR stuff, Why Can't This Be Love, Best of Both Worlds, Judgement Day, Poundcake3.5 greatKenny Mason 9If he had released this project as one album it would've been legendary. Instead we got one perfect EP (6), and a bunch of good-great-amazing tracks. If anything holds back Kenny it's his lack of consistency, every album has had some admirable stabs at experimentation that just don't work out. I think this could've been his best project if he just took the best stuff from this, FACTS, and all the stuff off 6.Stormzy Heavy Is the Head3.0 goodMaxo Kream PersonificationFeels like a big step down from Weight of the World. Same themes, same ideas, same retreads. Production has more of a cloud rap vibe versus the lean-jazz thing he did on WotW. This is not a bad album but is the worst/safest/most boring of his major label stuff. He sounded super bored on his Denzel feature and this album feels the same. He definitely needs a reset because the talent is there but this album just feels unnecessary.2.5 averageSteve Vai Vai / Gash
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