HOT LOCAL SINGLES NEAR YOU! (1/30)
Corporation, Jack White: 5
Whaaaat the heeelll. Probably my favorite single so far this year. How do you go from Connected by Love to this? The layers of distorted guitars are really nice and I like how the same chord progression is used throughout, but with different instrumental tones. The softer drum breaks are really nice as well. The passionate vocals next to various sound effects near the end of the track add a lot to its impact.
Paranoiac Intervals/Body Dysmorphia, of Montreal: 4
This grew on me a lot. The strange/mysterious soundscape is pleasing, the bassline is infectious, and the tone of the vocals fit the feel of the song really well. The synth layers build up into the chorus effectively. The song definitely changes up enough to justify its length too; the switch into Body Dysmorphia around the 5 minute mark is especially enjoyable with the atmospheric vocals and shimmery production.
I’m Gon Make U Sick O’Me, Parliament & Scarface: 4
Total jam all around. There are so many different layers to this song; you wouldn’t really expect these elements to work together but somehow they do. It’s got a prominent bassline, a ringing synth lead, there are horns at one point… The vocal performance is also pretty obviously unique with its yelpy tone. There are a few atmospheric, jazzy breaks throughout as well that’re nice breaks from everything else going on. Sick.
Laugh Now Cry Later, Black Milk: 4
Pretty solid hip hop track from a group I’ve been unfamiliar with up until this point. The vocal sample at the forefront of this production is really nice, and the bassline is really impressive too. I like the sporadic horns placed strategically throughout the song as well. All the verses here take on pretty heavy issues, and do so successfully. Also really like the intro and outro that connects the song to itself.
Phreqs, Portal: 4
Pretty sick metal song with these bizarre speedy twisted guitar cuts layered on top of each other. The drumming here is suuuuper impressive as well. Not a metalhead so don’t necessarily rely on my opinion, but I think this is a really all-around enjoyable song.
Nervous Young Inhumans, Car Seat Headrest: 3, 4
Of the songs I gave a 3, I probably enjoyed this one the most (wanna make that clear because I didn’t feel inclined to bump it up to a 4).The production definitely feels cleaner than what was originally on Twin Fantasy, but still feels as raw as any Car Seat Headrest song, which I like. This version more epic and complete than the original version, and I love the layered, raw, wailing guitar cuts and drumming.
I Shyne, Carnage & Lil Pump: 3
Listen...I don’t care who you are or how you feel about Lil Pump, you can’t really deny that Carnage’s production here is so sick, and honestly, Lil Pump’s performance makes a lot of sense in its context. Sure, Lil Pump sounds like Lil Pump so his flow isn’t impressive, but the level of intensity in his voice makes it fit the instrumental.
American Guilt, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, 3
UMO take a more garage rock approach to this song, and to decent payoff. The heavily distorted killer guitar leads and bass make for a pretty decent jam. Reminds me of an oh sees song or something with a more straightforward structure. My only problem is that it feels a little thrown together, and I’m hoping they’ll perfect this sound if their next full-length project is based on it.
PARAD(w/m)E, Sylvan Esso: 3
Sweet little indietronica song with a pretty catchy line of staccato synths. Might not totally blow you away, but there’s enough layers to the production to keep it engaging. I like the intention behind the songwriting, pretty much being how we’re utterly destroying the environment, but it’s not SUPER well written or anything and would probably benefit from feeling a little more complete.
Espionage, Preoccupations: 3
I like the dark, hazy coldwave feel to this song, with its echoing drums and drifting synth. Still, I feel like this song is missing something that the material on their last record had. I guess it’s a little more structurally straightforward and not as interesting to me. Pretty damn excited for this new record regardless tho.
Lazy Boy, Franz Ferdinand, 3
I liked this more than I expected to. I mean, it’s just your classic Franz Ferdinand track; indie rock with a mild post-punk twist, but it’s a jam. I liked the buildup of guitars and bassline a lot, and I don’t have too much to complain about other than that it feels kind of lazily written.
If The Car Beside You Moves Ahead, James Blake: 3
Fuck. I expected to like this so much better. For some reason the pitched choppy vocals in the beginning of the song literally just do nothing for me. However, the production still has a nice somber, lingering feel to it; I’d love it if we heard more of James’ vocals as they are and less of the awkward sampling. I guess I just feel like why fuck with a voice as captivating and beautiful as his?
After The Storm, Kali Uchis: 3
Fairly nice, light, beachy track. Includes a good amount of breezy/jazzy elements, feels a little funky at points too. Kali’s smooth/glossy vocals fit the bill of the song perfectly, Tyler’s feature is obviously really enjoyable. Overall though I’m not really in love with it, I guess I just think it’s still a little average and I don’t know if I’d ever come back to it.
Designer, Lil Pump: 2
This is a Lil Pump song
I mean, I don’t hate it, it’s just a Lil Pump song
Sick Boy, Chainsmokers: 1
Ya know ACTUALLY, this wasn’t as bad as I was expecting. The production isn’t abruptly gross or unbearable; it’s still as generic as you’d expect but still vastly better than most songs I’ve heard by the Chainsmokers. It more just reads like a fake deep ballad (“how many likes is my life worth” ...oh dear god). The vocals are pretty irritating too.
Supplies, JT: 1
What the hell are these trash adlibs in the background of this thing? The vocal performance here is utterly obnoxious as well, and the hook is such shit. This is just about as poorly written as Filthy, and I’d say its only redeeming quality is the blissful/sunshiney strings in the production, sucks that everything else going on in the track had to ruin it.
God’s Plan (+Diplomatic Immunity), Drake: 1
The production here is pretty average, but the lyrics piss me off way too much to give it anything more than this. I feel good, sometimes I don’t, ayy. It’s a lot of bad things that they wishin and wishin and wishin and wishin, they wishin on me. Stop it. Shut up.
Diplomatic Immunity is decent but not good enough to save God’s Plan’s ass.
Forever, Matt & Kim: 0
Oh god no, this hurts coming from this group. I haven’t really come across a song I’ve hated this much in a while. These lyrics are unbearably cheesy and terrible, the mixing is trash, the whole thing is so cringy it’s honestly tough to get through. God help me if I’m going to have to listen to a whole album of this soon.