| ⭐⭐⭐✨ | 2020’s ‘The Common Task’ felt like a bit of a watershed moment for Horse Lords. In stumbling upon the kind of jerky, psychedelic math rock that has since become such a staple of their identity, they seem to have made it a mission to test the absolute limits of reiteration. It becomesContinueContinue reading “Groove-centric: Horse Lords – Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive *ALBUM REVIEW*”
Tag Archives: Album Review
Musical purgatory: Office Dog – Prime Corner *ALBUM REVIEW*
| ⭐⭐⭐ | Auckland-by-way-of-Dunedin band Office Dog are searching for something on their latest effort ‘Prime Corner’. Is it answers? A place to finally belong? Love? Whatever it happens to be, they don’t necessarily seem any closer to finding it on this release. Might they get close? I have a lot of questions for someoneContinueContinue reading “Musical purgatory: Office Dog – Prime Corner *ALBUM REVIEW*”
Serotonin deficiency in music form: feeble little horse – Bitknot ALBUM REVIEW
| ⭐⭐⭐ | A breath of fresh air like Pittsburgh’s own feeble little horse only comes around once in a blue moon. Their 2023 breakout album ‘Girl with Fish’ was a blindingly vibrant mesh of shoegaze, twee pop, indie rock and noise pop. Guitars were blown out into white noise, the leads were dagger sharp.ContinueContinue reading “Serotonin deficiency in music form: feeble little horse – Bitknot ALBUM REVIEW”
Flanderisation: JPEGMAFIA – Experimental Rap *ALBUM REVIEW*
| ⭐⭐✨ | Peggy has always been forthright. Anyone who’s fraternised with his music could tell you that just from the first few bars of any given track. His inability to mince words has been one of his greatest strengths, and has given him a freedom with his commentary that would be the average rapper’sContinueContinue reading “Flanderisation: JPEGMAFIA – Experimental Rap *ALBUM REVIEW*”
A mildly passionate experiment: Rostam – American Stories *ALBUM REVIEW*
| ⭐⭐⭐ | The ex-Vampire Weekend multi-instrumentalist melds folktronica and Americana for a project that is suitably warming, though is perhaps strongest in its most pared-down moments. His third studio album since his departure from the band, it is a relatively sharp left turn into a more subtle approach. As much Grizzly Bear in thisContinueContinue reading “A mildly passionate experiment: Rostam – American Stories *ALBUM REVIEW*”
Brief, but potent: Lip Critic – Theft World *ALBUM REVIEW*
| ⭐⭐⭐✨ | Having been on the rise for much of the 2020’s now, Lip Critic seem to be as baffled by their own continuing insanity as the rest of us. Their music appears to have a strange mind of its own, darting from one schizophrenic piece of instrumentation to the next. Voice-like sounds emergeContinueContinue reading “Brief, but potent: Lip Critic – Theft World *ALBUM REVIEW*”
Necessary political bluntness: Genesis Owusu – REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE *ALBUM REVIEW*
| ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ | Australia has a serious treasure at its disposal. Kofi Owusu-Ansah, known by his pseudonym Genesis Owusu, has been methodically moving up the music industry ranks since he debuted back in 2021. The dizzyingly diverse ‘Smiling With No Teeth’ proved to people who were clued in that Kofi was no mere novice. ToContinueContinue reading “Necessary political bluntness: Genesis Owusu – REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE *ALBUM REVIEW*”
Spinning the wheels: Drake – ICEMAN *ALBUM REVIEW*
| ⭐✨ | Drake has been a walking paradox for a not insignificant portion of his career now. In one breath, he currently stands as the highest selling current day rap and R&B artist. On the other hand, he is handily the most insecure, pick-me narcissist to ever wear the honour of such commercial status.ContinueContinue reading “Spinning the wheels: Drake – ICEMAN *ALBUM REVIEW*”
Purveyors of vintage pop: The Lemon Twigs – Look For Your Mind! *ALBUM REVIEW*
| ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ | For a few years now, The Lemon Twigs have locked themselves into a time machine, and gotten to work studying the musical zeitgeists of the 1960’s and 70’s. The old-soul brothers, sons of power pop legend Ronnie D’Addario, have already had a leg up in this venture. Beginning as some sort ofContinueContinue reading “Purveyors of vintage pop: The Lemon Twigs – Look For Your Mind! *ALBUM REVIEW*”
Bloated, but improved: Noah Kahan – The Great Divide *ALBUM REVIEW*
| ⭐⭐⭐ | Noah Kahan harks back to a not-too-distant era of popular culture that feels almost surreal to look back on. His usually flannel-clad, man bun and beard presentation brings only one word to mind when I see it: “hipster”. You know them. They’re the kinds of dudes asking you if you’ve heard ofContinueContinue reading “Bloated, but improved: Noah Kahan – The Great Divide *ALBUM REVIEW*”
Dan Will Review 