Latest Reviews

With the release of his latest single, we are getting a new glimpse of the upcoming fourth volume of Jacob's “Djesse”' slated for release next February.

You read that title right, folks. British new wavers Duran Duran have broken their mould and gone in a completely different direction on their latest album. We have grown used to them being quirky, but we have never seen them go goth before. And that is exactly what they have done.

On October 6th, Sufjan Stevens released his 9th studio album entitled, Javelin. This album is dedicated to his late partner and best friend, Evans Richardson. Though the album is filled to the brim with themes of grief and loss, the song that most directly discusses Stevens’ experience with it, is the album’s intro, “Goodbye Evergreen”. 

American alternative rock trio Dogstar are back and have just released their first album in 23 years. Their third studio album, “Somewhere Between the Powerlines and Palm Trees,” features 12 brand new tracks, and the moment you start listening, you realise just how much we have all missed them.

Ed Sheeran is not just multi-talented; he is also one of the hardest-working musicians around today. After releasing his last album, “Subtract,” he is back a mere four months later, gifting us with another release.

The last few years have brought legions of well-warranted success to alternative pop artists, Jean Dawson and SZA. They each have released albums that have been successful both critically and commercially. One thing I didn’t expect to see, however, was these two artists converging so directly. One of my favorite surprises of this week’s catalog of music was a stunning collaboration between the two visionary artists. The song is titled, “NO SZNS” and it is genuinely astonishing, artful, creative, and innovative. 

Shallow Alcove is a band from New York, fronted by Grace Krichbaum and Dan Harris. Last week, they released a 3 song pack, leading off with the single, “Dream Song”. It’s been a long time since I’ve been so immediately infatuated with a song, particularly from a band or artist that I had never heard of before. This song is genuinely beautiful, from its lyrical content to its soundscape. It’s musically sweet, emotionally rich, and profoundly well-written. 

Once by the former stage name, “Theodore Sinks”, Teddy Swims has released his debut album, I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1). It’s an intriguing album based on its title alone. It’s both a captivating image and an implication of at least one other iteration of this story. Teddy Swims is someone I find interesting because of his many complexities. His music consistently features genre fusion between R&B, country, pop, hip-hop and more. Such would come as no surprise given the overlap of interests Swims had growing up. He was a football player from a sports-oriented family who fell in love with performing on stage. His musical roots led to making viral covers on YouTube which eventually brought him here, to his debut solo album. Aside from the album title and the prominent lead singles, Teddy Swims further captivates his potential audience right from the first song, “Some Things I’ll Never Know”. 

Yesterday was an exciting day for Hip-Hop fans. I was ecstatic to see the catalog of music released by artists I adore, such as Killer Mike, Nas, Denzel Curry, etc. Among the list of stellar Hip-Hop music that came out today was the release of VIC MENSA’s Victor. I’ve been a fan of VIC since his 2017 album, The Autobiography, and I have anticipated this album’s release since I reviewed his single, “Blue Eyes”. When looking at the tracklist last night at midnight, my eyes were immediately thrilled by the tenth track, “$outhside Story”. What excited me most about this song was seeing that fellow Chicago native, Common, was the featured artist. Common is one of my favorite voices in Hip-Hop with his poetic diction and influence on Jazz-Hop. He has multiple classics under his belt and continues to entertain, whether acting in films or releasing music that unifies. Chicago is one of the loudest cities in the world regarding prominent voices in Hip-Hop. Kanye West, Common, Chance The Rapper, Saba, Mick Jenkins, VIC MENSA; the list is seemingly infinite. Chicago rappers tend to flock together both physically and stylistically. They influence each other, and wear their city on their chest in a way other cities have yet to match. Such a cultural dynamic results in an invisible bond that tethers these artists together and constantly pushes the music forward. “$outhside Story” is a wonderful display of Chicago’s talent. 

Del Water Gap is a solo project by the songwriter S. Holden Jaffe. He’s from Brooklyn, NY. This past week he released the next single from his upcoming album, I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet. The new song is called “Quilt of Steam”.  It’s every bit as well-written as it is dreamy. Del Water Gap takes a moment to live in the mundane, finding poetry in the inner functions of everyday life. Del Water Gap stated, “the song is about coming off tour, feeling scrambled as hell, and trying to find some balance and stillness in the midst of all that. It’s about waking up in your own bed for the first time in months and noticing the little details you hadn’t had the capacity to let in while everything was moving around you.” Due to a sense of whiplash, a break from chaos can be just as jarring as being subject to it. Though not exclusive to the pace of tour life, the only thing that’s truly permanent in life is impermanence. While rapid change is disturbing, it is human nature to get used to what is consistent and when that thing changes, the soul is left looking for something familiar to cling to. “Quilt of Steam” is a thought-provoking perspective on this experience.