album reviews
Reviews of albums old and new from iconic artists and up and coming musicians alike.
Kylie Minogue Gets Her Country On
Did you think Dolly Parton would be the last artist to attempt country disco? Well, think again. Dance-pop diva from down under, Kylie Minogue, returns with her first full-length of all new material since 2014’s R&B leaning Kiss Me Once.
By Eric Allen8 years ago in Beat
Best Bandcamp Café Albums
What I Look for In "Cafe" Music: Although I don't expect all albums with "café" in the title to have been created with the intention of being "café music," I'm going to treat these albums as "café albums," for the purpose of writing this article.
By Robin Grape8 years ago in Beat
Review - The Pony Collaboration 'Everything Was Ages Ago'
If Everything Was Ages Ago, the first album from The Pony Collaboration since 2009 after the band's extended "accidental hiatus," sounds like something from a simpler time, that's because it is. Comprised of previously unreleased songs recorded between 2010 and 2013, Everything Was Ages Ago invokes the lazy, carefree feel of a laid-back summer day, and it's not hard to see why the band has drawn comparisons with a host of artists from Tindersticks to The Go-Betweens to Los Campesinos!
By Katie Young8 years ago in Beat
How Did We Get So Dark?
There's no denying that Royal Blood is, at least in some small way, indebted to Queens of the Stone Age (QOTSA), who played a key role in pioneering the sound that has made the English blues rock duo so famous. The muscular bass riffs, earth-shaking drums beats, and crooning vocals that have become Royal Blood's trademark would undoubtedly sound right at home on an album like Rated R or Songs for the Deaf.
By Ward Bogoslowski8 years ago in Beat
'Bobby Tarantino II'
Logic’s fifth mixtape, Bobby Tarantino II, dropped this past Friday on the coattails of its three singles: “44 More,” "Overnight," and “Everyday” featuring Marshmello. To judge the project's overall hotness, or lack of, we're going to look at every aspect of it, from production to lyrics to overall listening experience. We'll also be looking into a few specific tracks to talk about certain things, both good and bad.
By Nathan Crane8 years ago in Beat
Vinyl Review: The Sheepdogs — 'Changing Colours'
Hailing from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, The Sheepdogs have been around since 2006 and fall into the “classic rock” genre due to their simplistic playing style and use of traditional instruments. Their most recent album Changing Colours seems to be a nod to the rustic influences of music that is now considered Canadiana. There are nuances within the songs that are reminiscent of the classic harmonious riffs of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and the rugged sound of The Guess Who. The rusticity and influence from 70s Southern rock bands like The Allman Brothers is evident. Through this, speaking in terms of the blues history and its influence on Southern music — the bluesy aura comes through loud and clear. The album itself in vinyl form is aesthetically interesting. It has modern sensibilities to the design and layout of the cover, and yet draws retro inspiration by way of the style of colourizing photos. The floral element of the design is reminiscent of 60s and 70s patterns. Not to mention the photos of the members look like something out of a 70s Rolling Stone mag. The album itself is two LPs, but only three sides. Yes, only three sides. The third side is described as a separate “medley,” and where the fourth side would be is just a grooveless plane with “Do Not Play” cursively written on the label. I still don’t know how to feel about that. On one hand you wish for more songs, on the other hand it’s kinda cool and uncommon to see a blank vinyl side.
By Practical Stunts8 years ago in Beat
Is There Really a Wolf?
Russ Diemon’s gold certified album There’s Really a Wolf is all about love, loyalty, heartbreak and his unstoppable hustle. Since the album's release in May of last year, I’ve had it on loop in my playlists. As a DJ, I frequently get requests for songs off this album at school dances because of their quick beats or softer tempos. This album makes me feel like I can accomplish something with my life with motivational lines like “I treat my obstacles like stepping stones.”
By Alex Loeffler8 years ago in Beat
Logic: 'Bobby Tarantino II' Review. Top Story - March 2018.
After the success of his hit single "1-800-273-8255" ft. Alessia Cara and Khalid, there are a lot of expectations from the rapper for his following album Everybody. Everybody left some fans disappointed and others in awe. No one heard that Logic was going to drop a new album until just 48 hours prior to. Logic dropped his album Bobby Tarantino II on March 9, 2018 and I have listened to it three times through already. Logic takes us back to his mixtape days with an album that he describes as “An unapologetically fun project that balances wisdom and wit.” Bobby Tarantino was the work that Logic released after his album that took him to the charts The Incredible True Story, so Logic takes us back to the art that he was creating before pop rap took the charts. For those of you who don’t know, Bobby is one of Logic’s nicknames, so the mixtape is supposed to give us the synopsis of his life since Bobby Tarantino came about. Personally, I am a Logic fan and supporter, and I believe that he one of the most underrated rap artists in that genre of his time. I’ll take you through each song of the album and walk you through some lyrics that stood out to me. Enjoy!
By Mackenzie Coberley8 years ago in Beat
Top 10 Mind-Blowing Albums of the Last 10 Years
Everyone has their own taste in music, it's true. But there is one thing that we can all agree on — we all have one album that blows our tiny minds every time we hear it. In this post, I'm going to bring you 10 of mine — and tell you why they are some of the best things I have ever heard in my life.
By Tate Devonald8 years ago in Beat
