Latest Reviews

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. 

American singer-songwriter and High School Musical star, Olivia Rodrigo, has blessed us all with the release of her second studio album. “GUTS” is fierce and brave, while also staying playful and fun, feeling like the perfect complement to Rodrigo’s personality.

Eric Nam is a Korean-American singer born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. This past Friday, he released his 8-song album, House on a Hill. It’s as short and sweet as you’d expect given its single digit tracklisting. In an interview with Vogue, Eric described the album as “an existential crisis, kind of an introspective period where I [had] wanted to get this house on a hill. It made me start to question what is it that makes me really happy? What’s the reason for me wanting to own a house? Is it status, is it happiness? Is it a sense of stability of something that’s mine?” Though the album is an introspective journey exploring themes of materialism, identity, and perseverance, I really enjoy the love song, “Only for a Moment”. It’s an important cut in the tracklist because it highlights the moment in which the speaker first sees a future with someone else. In the metaphorical image of a “house on a hill,” a family tends to be part of that idea. This song notes the moment the speaker finds the person they want to settle down and build that future with. 

Normally, I’d open one of my reviews with a brief introduction to the artist. While I still intend to do that, there’s one thing I must say and highlight: “Essence” has possibly one of my favorite hooks I’ve ever heard. I can’t stop listening to this song and even when I’m not actively listening to it, it’s like I still am because the hook is an eternal echo, haunting my ears and bouncing around my mind. As dramatic as that sounds, it’s accurate. Trying to type this is difficult because I have the vibrant bassline and memorable melodies permeating my thoughts and clouding my ability to write. 

Greek power metal legends Firewind have exploded back onto the scene with a stunning new live album, “Still Raging.” The release celebrates the band’s official 20th anniversary, recorded at Principal Club Theatre in Greece in 2022. 

Though piles of great music has been released this past Friday, I would feel remiss if I hadn’t talked about hemlocke springs’ “enknee1” from last week. In the seemingly infinite pool of music that was released on August 21st, this track stuck out like a sore thumb, in all the best ways. Every inch of its architecture, every detail of its design screams distinction. From the cover art, the song title, the production, the relative lack of information behind the artist, as well as her voice and delivery, are all unorthodox in their nature. “enknee1” (pronounced ‘anyone’) is hemlocke springs’ fourth single of 2023 and only her sixth song ever released on streaming! “enknee1” is the final single leading up to her debut EP, going…going…GONE!. After garnering a sizable following on TikTok with the songs “gimme all ur luv” and “girlfriend”, hemlocke has continued releasing extremely unique, yet immensely accessible songs. “enknee1” is likely my favorite of the bunch.

Ashley Kutcher is a Pop singer based in New York, who was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. Last Friday, she released a sentimental and emotionally compelling song entitled, “Matchbox”. Carried by somber and passionate acoustic guitars, Ashley offers an immensely vulnerable and authentic account of a relationship between two partners. They vastly contrast each other, yet fulfill the other’s missing pieces. 

Sid Sriram is an Indian Carnatic musician raised in America. His music career has global and international roots. For those like myself who might be unfamiliar with Carnatic music, it is a subgenre of classical Indian music that evolved from Hindu text and tradition. It is commonly regionally associated with South India. Sid Sriram was born in Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu. His family moved to California when he was one and his Carnatic music teacher mother raised him on the music. Sid eventually found interest in and became a songwriter for both Carnatic music and R&B. This past Friday he released Sidharth, a 13 song album featuring a special song entitled, “Quiet Storm”. 

Conan Gray is an American singer and songwriter well known for songs like “Maniac” and “Heather” from his 2020 release, Kid Krow. This past Friday, he released a new single titled, “Winner”. Though he has billions of streams and over 20 million monthly listeners, this song is my first introduction to Conan Gray. Being that his music is completely foreign to me, the fact that I was immediately immersed and captivated by the track goes to show how powerful it is.