In Case You Missed It: March/April 2019

As the year begins to ramp up and more artists and bands come out with new material, the avalanche of fresh releases grows bigger and bigger, especially as many begin to look for the catchy singles and sunny atmospheres that will dictate the sound of the summer to come. Of course, the likelihood that Old Town Road will be blaring out of every Bluetooth speaker around for the majority of the summer becomes more and more unavoidable every day, but at least we get to enjoy along with it the total collapse of genre barriers that were already weakened by the advent of the Internet. In all seriousness, both mainstream and underground projects have been churning out at a fervent pace, and aside from the many notable albums already covered by most major publications, cataloged below are some of the less discussed works from the past few months that deserve to be talked about, if not necessarily listened to.

2 Chainz - Rap or Go to the League (Hip Hop, Trap Rap)
Similar to 2017's Pretty Girls Like Trap Music, hailed as a return to form for 2 Chainz but in reality a discernibly lackluster release, Rap or Go to the League is a far too long display of how mediocre a rapper he is. However, the clever bars do help alleviate the ennui somewhat, and many of the features provide an enjoyable counterpoint to the rapper's often emotionless drawl. Particularly impressive is Kendrick Lamar's contribution on Momma I Hit A Lick, easily the album's highest point save for, surprisingly, the Ariana Grande hook on Rule The World that sounds far better than it has any right to.
6/10

Foals - Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 1 (Indie Rock)
It would be far from the truth to describe Foals as anything close to an innovative indie rock band, but even by their standards this newest record is quite unremarkable. Occasional songs do provide moments of brief interest (Exits, In Degrees), and there is no deficiency of skilled composition present, yet the overall lack of passion blends the entire record into a homogeneous dance-punk blob that goes in one ear and right out the other. Certainly it places in the lower tiers of the group's discography, and unfortunately does not inspire much interest in the inevitable Part 2 coming later this year.
5.5/10

Zacari - Run Wild Run Free (Alternative R&B)
A fresh up-and-comer in the already saturated world of R&B, Zacari owes most of his meager fame to his appearance on Kendrick Lamar's album DAMN. and his status as one of a few choice artists signed to the rapper's label, Top Dawg Entertainment. As a debut EP, however, this project is quite far from endearing or impressive, and not even a guest verse from famed rap jester Lil Yachty can imbue Zacari's bland offerings with anything resembling personality. If he does have the talent or the ambition to market himself as something other than a poor man's The Weekend, those skills make no appearance here.
4/10

Avey Tare - Cows on Hourglass Pond (Psychedelic Folk)
For many diehard fans of famed psychedelic pop band Animal Collective, the solo material released by co-founder Avey Tare has been hit-or-miss, with this newest album seeming to land on the 'hit' side of things. But compared to the groups's best work, Cows on Hourglass Pond comes off as an average, forgettable offering more than anything, its reliance on the musical and vocal tropes of '60s psychedelia too blatant to be ignored. The dreamy effects enveloping the singing on every track and the spacious, empty production wear out their welcome before the record even nears its close, and while it is far from an abrasive or unbearable experience, it leaves little to encourage any repeat listens.
6/10

Jenny Lewis - On the Line (Pop Rock)
A singer as experienced and talented as Jenny Lewis should be able to produce something more than a poor man's Kacey Musgraves project, yet for whatever reason this album skews toward the straddling of pop's blandest lyricism and country's most played-out tropes. But where Golden Hour was at least creatively produced, On the Line is unimpressive on all fronts, and with song titles like Red Bull & Henessy and Do Si Do, it is befuddling why the pathetic coating of everything in Southern clichés is garnering any praise at all. Almost as confusing: why anyone would want to make their album sound more like country music.
4/10

Nilüfer Yanya - Miss Universe (Indie Pop, Indie Rock)
For as lofty as its clearly ambitions are (the attempts at a cohesive narrative strung together through interludes being evidence), Miss Universe achieves very little in terms of interesting musical development, or even any sense of memorability. The accomplished vocals and sparse moments of clever songwriting show quite a bit of talent buried beneath the facade of a young artist yet to fully capitalize on her aspirations, and more than anything, the album is a struggle between her evident promise and her clear lack of experience. Future releases could very well prove more cohesive and polished, but Miss Universe is far from a refined listen.
6/10

PUP - Morbid Stuff (Pop Punk)
It's difficult to place the exact reasons why Morbid Stuff works so well; as a short, raucous experience, it is seemingly over as soon as it begins, and the blatant mix of fun and fury coating every word and every chord leaves little to be misunderstood. In any case, this album is a clear improvement on all fronts for the plucky Toronto-based pop punk outfit, and boasts a surprising amount of variety for such a short runtime. The band fits in plenty of catchy, succinct bursts of fury (the title track perhaps the most notable) yet also slowing things down for a drawn-out buildup of pleasure on Scorpion Hill. To describe just how refined PUP's formula has become is not a simple task; to enjoy what the album has to offer is remarkably easy.
7/10

Kelsey Lu - Blood (Art Pop, Chamber Pop)
The moments on Blood where Kelsey Lu's accomplished voice, powerful lyrics, and distinctive production all work in harmony are undeniably incredible, and make it seem ludicrous that this album is her first full-length release. Unfortunately, those moments come far too few to accurately call this a stellar project, and combined with her still unfocused grasp on her musical identity, leave the record without a clear enough sense of purpose to truly feel satisfying. Still, this is a more than capable art pop album, and the allure of songs like Due West and I'm Not In Love is indisputable.
6.5/10

Rico Nasty, Kenny Beats - Anger Management (Hip Hop, Trap Rap)
When Rico Nasty sounds relaxed and playful enough to actually have fun flowing over a beat (Hatin being the clearest example), the results are amusing and formidable simultaneously. For too much of this already short album, however, she bounces between an angry flow that comes off more irritating than furious and an out-of-tune whine that has no place singing the hooks she insists on covering herself. Kenny Beats is outstanding as always on the production side of things, but even his touch is not enough to stave off Rico's inconsistency, an impressive crutch considering she couldn't even scrape together twenty minutes.
6/10

Local Natives - Violet Street (Indie Pop, Synthpop)
The straddled line between indie pop and indie rock is one many bands walk, the sound of acoustic guitar ballads mixed with more upbeat grooves a familiar one. On Violet Street, however, the band veers way too far into the realm of synthpop, to the point where any number of tracks on here become indistinguishable from the most pointless, mind-numbing synthetic trash tailor-made for chart success. Local Natives, however, will never achieve anything close to that level of fame, and so this stylistic decision is a very confusing one to say the least. Certain cuts do retain the spark of lyrical wit and instrumental flavour that made them worth paying attention to in the first place, but the vast majority of the record is aimless and befuddling.
5/10