Jehry Robinson – “Hella Highwater” review

Long Island, New York rapper, singer/songwriter & producer Jehry Robinson returning got his 4th LP. Coming up almost a decade ago off his eponymous debut EP & the debut mixtape Pts. IV-VI few months later, his biggest breakthrough came around Christmas 2019 after signing to Strange Music & quickly establishing himself with the KC indie powerhouse by dropping his full-length debut 20/Twenty the summer COVID had the world shutdown & a sophomore effort The Name’s Not Important the next fall. It’s already been a couple years since Drink More Water & is ending the month the way Strange started it with Hella Highwater.

Struggle Jennings joins Jehry on the heartfelt intro “Gates” telling the story of a family member who was recently released from a 12-year prison sentence whereas “Pour Up” featuring Doobie finds the 2 talking about smoking or drinking when they probably shouldn’t embracing a county rap sound. “Good by Now” produced with Matt Phoenix mixes country, trap & pop realizing that love alone isn’t enough if the other person isn’t willing to grow while “Marathon” featuring Ty March sings about giving their lovers everything.

“Better” sends an sarcastic letter to that 1 person who’s constantly treats life like a competition over a creaky guitar & a smooth reggae-style inflection in his vocals leading into “Whispers” going for a pop rock vibe singing about not needing anyone to hold him down. “Whiskey Water” channels the energy of a lonely southern dive bar using water as a chaser whenever he consumes liquor while “Slumber” hopes of getting up from the darkness one day.

Wyshmaster produces the 2nd single “Pay Me” leaning towards country pop instrumentally singing that he doesn’t need to be saved because he’s too far gone while “Acoustic” featuring Jaimie Wilson joining forces for a duet about the group of people who only love you when you’re gone. “Backwoods” takes the Americana route a little passionately pleading that he doesn’t wanna slow down because it’s the only thing he knows while the summery “Mark on My Heart” experiences a breakup.

“Feel So Long” comes off assuring about all of us having our own sorts of pain & that contributing greatly to making us strong while the poppy “Why Don’t You” asking for the reason this person won’t say goodbye to him. “4 Seasons” featuring Zane Neale sings about loving their partners every season of the year & the self-produced “Pilot” closing Hella Highwater out by turning this plane around. “William Montgomery” however returns to his hip hop roots serving up a stunningly deft lyrical display.

Bringing musical fusion in a way fans have come to know as his specialty, Hella Highwater pushes Jehry Robinson’s artistry further than ever before whilst tackling a prominent theme revolving around all people having the capability of overcoming adversity & realizing our dreams no matter how badly we’ve fucked up in the past because we still matter to the important people in our lives. His palette is more diversified even if it’s more country themed, he’s more honest & extends a confidential reality check to those in need of it.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

HARDY – “COUNTRY! COUNTRY!” review

HARDY is a 34 year old singer/songwriter from Philadelphia, Mississippi notable for his first couple EPs This Ole’ Boy & Where to Find Me along with the Hixtape trilogy until his debut album A Rock marked a decline in quality. The Mockingbird & the Crow and the Mercury/Republic Records debut Quit!! have gone on to become the worst bro-country & alternative rock of this decade, making appearances for the WME Group-owned TKO Group Holdings division WWE since the beginning of 2023 when he had a segment with former WWE United States Champion & NXT North American Champion Solo Sikoa. They even made the terrible Morgan Wallen cut “red” off The Mockingbird & the Crow the official theme for WWE’s final Tribute to the Troops show, knowing his 4th LP would go back to his stylistic roots.

The title track begins by singing about making the whole country as redneck as him if the ball were in his courts whereas “Favorite Country Song” decently pays homage to some of his artistic influences. “Bro Country” featuring ERNEST observes the new group out in Nashville bringing a whole different sound when the titular subgenre hasn’t been all great while “Luckiest Man Alive” sings about thanking God for his good fortune.

“Car That Drove You Away” topically gets on some corny breakup vibes wishing to forget of the fool he’s feeling like just before “Girl with a Gun” sings about not wanting to cheat on any woman who loves her firearms. “Buck on the Wall” recalls looking at a deer his grandfather killed back in 1979 & wanting to do one since he can’t anymore while “I’d Go Crazy Too” sings about a woman who’s been through Hell yet it’s pure heaven in between her & him.

Nearing the end of COUNTRY! COUNTRY!’s first half, “Take the Country & Run” recalls playing Hank Williams on the guitar with the view of the L.A. lights from a penthouse suite while “Goodbye” singing about wanting to drink beer with someone he’s in love with on a Paris, France rooftop. “Bedrooms in the Sky” featuring Stephen Wilson Jr. finds the 2 starting the other leg with a duet assuring country music will always come back around while “Bottomland” sings about being a country boy wanting to be buried with his grandfather’s rifle in his hand.

“Who Don’t” suggests that anyone who isn’t as country has him should sit in the truck because this ain’t for them when in reality, there are much better country artists to listen to than today’s mainstream names with the exception of Jelly Roll. “Country in Me” on the other hand sings about knowing where he’s going at this certain point in his life wanting George Jones to be played at his funeral while “Gun to My Head” promises that he won’t ever give up this way of life.

Meanwhile on “Keep It Country”, we have HARDY reflecting of him essentially making a livin’ writin’ of making music for his musical audience & that’s fine if his style of the genre isn’t my thing prior to “Y’all Need Jesus” wines about User53109 calling him fat or no album in his genre today being better than The Mockingbird & the Crow when I can name Tony Martinez’ debut Everywhere West from last summer as one of many examples.

“Dog Years” sings that he’s had the best life he could’ve asked for while “We’re All Gonna Die” fittingly starts the final moments of the LP by reminding us all that our deaths are inevitable & that we gotta live the best way we can because of it. “Everybody Does” finishes up COUNTRY! COUNTRY!by singing about everyone having their differences from political parties to their own lifestyles.

Thankfully he’s not related to the current 4-time TNA World Tag Team Champions & inaugural 4th Rope World Tag Team Champions The Hardy Boyz, but COUNTRY! COUNTRY! for a full-length in this genre is nowhere near as exciting as Wednesday’s 6th album Bleeds that recently came out last Friday & more so maintaining an equal level of deficiency as the 2-disc I’m the Problem from HARDY’s labelmate Morgan Wallen earlier this spring & who can forget F-1,000,000,000,000 by Post Malone last summer? If you want some new country that’s good, listen to the new Jehry Robinson album Hella Highwater.

Score: 1.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Mariah Carey – “Here for It All” review

Mariah Carey is a 56 year old singer/songwriter, entrepreneur, producer, actress & the Queen of Christmas from Huntington, New York notable for her eponymous debut, Daydream, her penultimate Columbia Records album Butterfly, the soundtrack to Glitter under Virgin Music, The Emancipation of Mimi improving over her Island Records debut Charmbraclet, her only Def Jam Recordings opus Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse & her previous full-length Cautions through Epic Records. Only 3 months away from the holiday season, she’s signing to gamma. for her 16th studio LP.

“Mi” takes on a modern hip hop soul sound singing about self-care & once the self-produced “Play This Song” featuring Anderson .Paak throws it back to the 70s advising to put this very track on for your own sake, “Type Dangerous” featuring Big Sean alongside Busta Rhymes and Method Man & Redman on the remix seeks excitement out of a relationship with Tobe Nwigwe sampling “Eric B.’s President” by Eric B. & Rakim.

Kehlani & Shenseea both join Mariah on the contemporary R&B/pop single “Sugar Sweet” singing that all 3 of them will keep everything nice & neat just before “In Your Feelings” produced by Rogét Chahayed recollects a story of something she’s been through. “Nothing’s Impossible” topically addresses her own resilience over a piano instrumental leading into “Confetti & Champagne” singing about somebody that you’re not with anymore.

“I Won’t Allow It” locks in with Breezy Lovejoy for a refusal to entertain one’s narcissistic behavior while “My Love” serves as a moderate cover to her favorite Wings song off the band’s sophomore effort Red Rose Speedway. “Jesus I Do” featuring The Clark Sisters sticks out to me embracing a gospel heavy sound & the title track finishes by thanking God she’s lived to see physical embodiment of love.

Fully capitalizing on the soul-searching Mariah Carey has done since Caution, her independent debut finds the Songbird Supreme taking the emotional depths of her memoir The Meaning of Mariah Carey to a newer level almost half a decade later. The contemporary R&B & pop production celebrates every era of her’s further pulling from hip hop, disco, gospel, smooth soul & adult contemporary in light of her losing her mother & sister as opposed to the predecessor heavily revolving around a concept of relationships.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

SPRINTS – “All That’s Over” review

SPRINTS is a garage punk, noise rock, post-punk & garage rock revival band from Dublin, Ireland consisting of bassist Sam McCann, drummer Jack Callan & frontwoman/guitarist Karla Chubb. Releasing their full-length studio debut Letter to Self at the beginning of last year to lightly moderate reception, I was a lot more interested about their sophomore effort here going into it based off some of the singles we got building up towards it & learning that they had signed to the historic Seattle, Washington indie label Sub Pop Records.

“Abandon” opens up with a goth rock intro singing about all hope being left behind whereas “To the Bone” turns up the gothic influences painting the image of a dark evening. “Descartes” meshes alt-rock with post-punk revival & noise rock telling those growing disillusioned & angry with the world that hope’s around the corner while “Need” questions the love of this person that Karla needs in her life.

We get more goth rock vibes on the b-side single “Beg” poking fun at the idea that often it’s those in positions of power that preach their moral codes & judgments whilst committing the most heinous crimes themselves but once “Rage” embracing a garage rock direction calling out the false prophets & false promises, “Something’s Gonna Happen” observes a wave breaking beneath the brim asking that very question.

“Pieces” makes a final call of distress pleading for help after a woman left Karla’s mind a state of undress while the final teaser “Better” takes inspiration from My Bloody Valentine’s shoegaze landmark of a sophomore effort Loveless. “Coming Alive” speaks of the attempts to break Karla apart & “Desire” sends it all off singing about a fear inside this woman bringing up a fire.

Set against the backdrop of a litany of atrocities, SPRINTS’ inaugural opus under Sub Pop Records finds themselves trying to make sense of it all during the course of All That’s Over doubling down on the visceral spirit of fierce artistic honesty that’s always been at heart. They push their dynamics into richer territory mixing alternative rock, post-punk, garage punk, gothic rock, grunge, noise rock, shoegaze, garage rock revival & post-punk revival whilst observing the world on the verge of apocalypse.

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Doja Cat – “Vie” review

Los Angeles, California recording artist Doja Cat ending the month with her 4th LP. Blowing up in 2018 off her viral novelty single “MOOO!” under Kemosabe Records & RCA Records, this was followed up the next year with her debut mixtape Hot Pink which was decent as a whole despite the fact that “Say So” solidified that she wasn’t going away anytime soon. Planet Her showed some improvement compared to her previous works by delivering a pop rap/R&B concept album based around a self-originated world, coming off Scarlet to release Vie.

“Cards” kicks it all off with a mixture of synthpop & synth-funk music singing to make best use of your assets whereas “Jealous Type” produced by Jack Antonoff blends dance-pop, synth-funk, freestyle music, the Minneapolis sound & pop rap talking about struggling with insecurity during an impatient relationship. “AAAHH MEN!” samples the Knight Rider theme song to make way for some boastfully charming raps while “Couples Therapy” sings that all she wants his for her lover to be involved.

Moving on from there, we have the aptly titled “Gorgeous” that Sounwave co-produced giving off a summery vibe with a secondary pop rap influence explaining that it’s crime to be very attractive just before “Stranger” goes back to a dance-pop direction with minor jazz undertones sings about her & her partner being weird with each other. “All Mine” pulls from the Minneapolis sound again to get possessive over her new romantic interest while “Take Me Dancing” featuring SZA playfully says it all.

“Lipstain” continues Vie’s other half not wanting to dance around the idea of the love she & this person have for each other being easy to talk about while the R&B throwback “Silly! Fun!” tackles the concept of romantic delusion. “Acts of Service” hypnotically poses the question of what would it mean if she found her person when that’s her love language while “Make It Up” talks about turning a wrong into a right.

The song “1 More Time” borrows from the Minneapolis sound to start the final act of Doja Cat’s most enjoyable body of work yet not needing anyone to save her by any means while “Happy”asks if her lover is genuinely contented. The pop rap closer “Come Back” ends the LP by confirming to an ex that she’s not the person for him & taking her advice that he will eventually find someone when the time’s right & the star’s align.

Returning to a poppier sound as opposed to Scarlet putting Doja Cat’s hip hop side on full display, Vie takes a more playful approach than anything she’s done previous & I come away from it getting her best pop material ever. The production mostly handled by Jack Antonoff masterfully fluctuates between contemporary R&B, dance-pop, po rap, synthpop, synth-funk, freestyle music, trap music, sophisti-pop & the Minneapolis sound and the prominently dishy subject matter.

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Verbz – “The Way FWD” review

Croydon, South London, England, United Kingdom emcee Verbz reuniting with Brighton, East Sussex producer Mr. Slipz for his 3rd studio LP. Introducing themselves in 2017 off the full-length debut Lessons of Adolescence, he would later put out the debut mixtape Pathways & make his High Focus Records debut with the sophomore effort Radio Waves during the COVID-19 pandemic. Coming off The Low as well as Where It Started & more recently In Time this past spring, he & Slipz have decided to lead The Way FWD in celebration of the current TNA X Division Champion Leon Slater’s birthday weekend.

The title track opens by hooking up a boom bap instrumental with a string sample talking about facing facts in a matter of time comes whereas “Seen a Lot of Change” featuring Cam Thomas takes the boom bap route reflecting on seeing a lot of things in this game not being what it used to be compared to when they started. “Mémoires de Perte” keeps things dusty talking about the realizations he’s experienced in the midst of life moving rather quickly just before “What You Reckon?” speaks of having nothing to lose & everything to gain.

“Switch Lanes” blends these pianos chords with some kicks & snares talking about him accelerating at a different pace in contrast to everybody else leading into “S.O.T.S.” ruggedly explaining that he ain’t stumbling because it’s only up from hereon out the way he looks at it. “Each Hurdle” featuring Cappo talks about how both of them used to go around in circles & time running out for what it’s worth while “Keep On” dustily remains confident of getting what’s his.

Starting the 3rd & final act, “Got It Myself” shifts towards a spookier boom bap vibe talking about carrying around the ghost of his younger self while “It’s Raining Again” comes through with a downtrodden sequel to “The Rain” off Radio Waves advising the world to stay where it shines. “Turn the Page” maintains the raw instrumentation talking about searching for a better tomorrow & his intuition telling him brighter days are ahead while the outro “Came Close” raises a toast to everything he never did that he was on the verge of doing.

Paying respect to the sample-driven boom bap soundscapes & introspective lyricism that’ve been synonymous with Verbz & Mr. Slipz’ output for almost a decade, The Way FWD basically recapturing the aura of Radio Waves except they’re taking the classic feeling of their earlier material & pushing it forward a month after Sha Samuels became a 2-time RPW British Heavyweight Champion. The production’s a lot rawer than it was 5 years ago & a lot has changed in regards to Verbz’ style of songwriting, prioritizing evolution as we get ready to start the 2nd half of the 2020s in only a few months.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Cardo – “Sigan Viendo” review

St. Paul, Minnesota producer & rapper Cardo celebrating his birthday week with a sophomore effort. Notable for lacing a couple standout tracks on Wiz Khalifa’s best mixtape Kush & Orange Juice, he would later go on to become one of the most in-demand beatsmiths in recent memory producing hits ranging from “THat Part” by ScHoolboy Q featuring Ye formerly known as Kanye West to “goosebumps” by Travis Scott featuring Kendrick Lamar or more recently “euphoria”, the latter serving as the first of 4 Drake disses. MADeMAN put his lyrical abilities to full display last fall & he’s looking to do it again with Sigan Viendo.

The intro by Nutso Thugn’ was an ok single mainly because I think the instrumental outshines Nutso’s performances while “texture” by born bad! has the same issues, most notably sampling “Knuck If You Buck” by the Crime Mob at a few points of the song that give it a dirty south vibe. “bad posture” by born bad! & YoDogg fuses cloud rap & trap to talk about not standing on what you speak on giving them that exact kind of energy while “hotr” by YoDogg angrily flexes that he’s a 1 man rumble.

“1st Chamber” by Skufl has this woozy approach to the beat speaking of working hard for his paper while the Mobb-influenced “Lately” by Nasaan & 21 Lil Harold was an unexpected pairing & 1 that I felt where Nasaan smoked Lil Harold. A favorite track of mine is easily “know he dead” by Rio da Yung O.G. tapping into the Flint sound & making it look easy while “gwfyn!” by born bad! samples “Make ‘Em Say UHH!” by Master P featuring Fiend, Mia X, Mystikal & Silkk the Shocker.

2025 XXL Freshman Samara Cyn getting her on track with “spooky” makes me happy since I highly enjoyed her Backroads EP earlier this summer delivering some of the best flows on the LP while “bonkerz” by Count Faces & Mathias Young sums up the way I felt soon as the beat dropped. “Came from Nothin’” by Oodaredevil will go down as amongst of the greatest songs the Texas Tycoon has ever done while “lemmehavit” by BBYKOBE heads for a hypnotic direction instrumentally.

“Free 5” by Redd Cold Hearted starts the final leg with the Atlanta rapper at her hardest since her appearance on “Middle of the Summer” off Playboi Carti’s full-length debut Die Lit while “board games” by Zukenee gives us a taste of what’s to come from his upcoming Zudo project, which already sounds like his most important body of work to date. Lil Yachty’s contribution to “beans” concludes Sigan Viendo by going harder than he did on the 5$tarCrete EP that Concrete Rekordz put out last month.

The idea of Cardo taking a backseat vocally throughout Sigan Viendo to focus on his production talents & recruit a myriad of guests taking up the mic needless to say seems like a refreshing change of pace on paper as a longtime fan of his talents behind the boards. However, I find myself enjoying this less than I did MADeMAN exactly 365 days ago. There’s nothing wrong with the beats, although I’m more on the fence with the list of performers.

Score: 3/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

ZelooperZ – “Dali Ain’t Dead” review

ZelooperZ is a 32 year old MC from Detroit, Michigan notable for being a member of the Bruiser Brigade collective. Since the early 2010s, he’s come a long way from his solo debut Bothic by artistically evolving on both Valley of Life & Van Gogh’s Left Ear respectively. In preparation for Bruiser Wolf’s upcoming 4th album Made by Dope produced by Harry Fraud next month & Danny Brown’s upcoming 7th album Stardust the month after, ZelooperZ & Dilip are reuniting to explain why Dali Ain’t Dead.

The drumless chipmunk soul intro “1st Instrument” talks about having cheese in collateral amounts & life being an uphill battle for him whereas the early favorite “Mona Lisa Left Eye” is packed with references to some of his influences. “Bebe Kids” works in some quirky synthesizers expressing resentment towards his early years due to the pain he endured while “Push Me Around” featuring Zack Fox angrily talks about no one fucking with them.

“Hypnagogia” hooks up an interesting string sample within the first 30 seconds & a switchup during the final 30 seconds referencing WWE Hall of Famer Arnold Schwarzenegger while “NDA” featuring Paris Texas makes for my favorite guest appearance on the entire album talking about them not coming to fuck around. “Fuck Cigarettes” expresses his dislike for the popular type of tobacco & I agree because weed is far better prior to a soulful diss towards the “Broke Ass Hoes”.

Starting the 2nd half, “Opposite Sex” works in some heavy horns to talk about the difficulty of getting rest because of the run he’s been on while “Describe” gives off a cloudier trap vibe smoothly telling us the kind of guy he is for the woman of his dreams. “I Mac” experiments with synthwave and atmospheric drum & bass continuing to tackle themes of love while “Shrooms” references WWE Hall of Famer, former 3-time WWE world champion, 3-time WWE United States Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 9-time WWE tag team champion, 8-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion, The Crash’s inaugural Mundial Pesocompleto Campeon & アイアンマンヘビーメタル級チャンピオン Rey Mysterio.

“Take Me I’m Drugs” heavily samples more strings to kick off the final leg of Dali Ain’t Dead carrying over the topic of drug use from the previous track while “Lebanon James” boisterously talks about going crazier than the greatest talk show host of all-time Eric André of The Eric André Show formerly on the Discovery Global division Cartoon Network owned [adult swim]. “Art of Seduction” goes for a smoother approach to master the idea of temptation & “Play with Your Pride” ends the LP by advising not to mess with one’s self-esteem.

Only less than 2 months away from his set at the 11th annual Camp Flog Gnaw, we get a look at ZelooperZ’ life after becoming sober last summer over the course of the 36 minutes that Dali Ain’t Dead has to offer & it. Dilip’s production has grown a lot in the past 5 years blending elements of experimental hip hop, trap, cloud rap & drumless to back the abstract lyricism inspired by this newfound perspective since getting clean dedicating itself to Salvador Dalí.

Score: 4.5/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Joell Ortiz – “Love, Peace & Trauma” review

Yes, here is the 10th solo LP from Brooklyn, New York veteran Joell Ortiz. Emerging after being featured in the Unsigned Hype column of The Source over 2 decades ago, he went on to sign to Aftermath Entertainment for a brief period of time before leaving to drop his official debut The Brick: Bodega Chronicles under MNRK Music Group. I also can’t forget to mention when Slaughterhouse rose to prominence off their self-titled debut, which led Eminem signing the supergroup to Shady Records a decade ago already. Sadly, their major label debut welcome to: OUR HOUSE that came out the next summer would unfortunately end up being their last & everyone has been doing their own thing since. The Heatmakerz producing W.A.R. (With All Respect) became my favorite solo effort of his in a while and was hoping the same for Love, Peace & Trauma.

“PTSD” produced by The Heatmakerz opens the album by never looking back on where Yaowa suggests everyone who come around the same neck of the woods as him to look back & never forget where they came from whereas “Ambidextrous” picks up by telling us where he stands before us to this very day. “Undefeated” soulfully talks about looking up to the sky to God he’s all in while “Make It By” takes off a chipmunk soul route looking back on the way he’s been coping with trauma since he was a baby.

The Housing Authority Rap District a.k.a. H.A.R.D. reunites alongside Grafh during “On My Own” talking about the game being full of bums & jokes these days while “The Crosswalk” admits to today being one of those days where he’d pinch himself to see if he’s actually still here living in the moment when he is. “Never Forget” featuring Locksmith suggests not to speak out the neck while “Thy Neighbor” featuring Nucci Reyo talks about the world hating them.

“Can’t Live Without Your Love” references WWE Hall of Famer & former WWE Tag Team Champion Brutus Beefcake leading into “The Yaowa” embracing a chipmunk soul vibe to discuss catching up to himself as he gets older & wiser leading into “Wandering” talking about anxiety making you learn or keeping you attentive. “Smile” soulfully speaks of being built of love while “Pen, Pad & a Dream” reflects on all he had.

Some were disappointed by W.A.R. (With All Respect) last fall because of the amount of guests on it although I still consider it to be a high point in Joell Ortiz, but I guarantee that most of those people are gonna be gravitating towards Love, Peace & Trauma in comparison. It should be noted that The Heatmakerz only handle 70% of the production as opposed to the entire thing, yet it’s very much on par with the previous full-length & the same can be said regarding Yaowa’s pen.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!

Atmosphere – “Jestures” review

Minneapolis, Minnesota duo Atmosphere are back for their 14th album. Consisting of Slug on the mic & Ant on the boards, they started as a trio from the beginning of their formation up to release of their critically acclaimed debut Overcast! building an independent empire with their Rhymesayers Entertainment label whether that be signing acts from Brother Ali to the late Eyedea or putting out their best bodies of work like God Loves Ugly or Sad Clown Bad Dub 9. So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously became their best in a while a couple years ago & Jestures looks to become more ambitious both thematically and it’s pacing sequenced in order of the alphabet.

“Asshole” begins by advising not to mistake his circle for repetition over a luxurious boom bap instrumental whereas “Baby” finds himself feeling drunk off a woman pleading for her not to play him. “Caddy” talks about personifying his cars in a personal way even though he’s not an enthusiast for motor vehicles just before “Daley” gives a daily dose of the Holy Ghost.

Evidence joins Atmosphere on “Effortless” talking about their fans wanting to see them do exactly what they do best as if they didn’t have to put any effort into it while “Furthermore” explains that people still have nightmares when they’re living in their dreams. “Grateful” brings a funkier vibe to the beat talking about the subject of gratitude while “Heavy Lifting” featuring Haphduzn suggests to let their legs do the hard work.

After the 127 second “Instrument” compositional interlude, “Jester” cloudily talks about the way Slug will possibly identify himself for all of eternity while “Kilowatts” featuring Kurious abstractly heads for the farthest limits together. “Locusts” talks about keeping his head up not trying to drown in the rain while “Mash” featuring Mike the Martyr, Musab & Muja Messiah brings the quintet together where the cops aren’t at.

“Neptune” starts the 2nd half of Jestures with some sampling to talk about nobody getting the message of Atmosphere’s music unless a connection is felt while the drumless “Ophidiophobia” dismisses the idea of a moral in favor of hope. “Past” talks about your future being nothing like the way it was previously while the experimental “Quicksand” admits to feeling like he’s sinking deeper the more he fights this trap.

We get a more tropical vibe on “Really” talking about having nothing better to do while the 78 second “Sean” reveals that Slug’s father named him after the late Sean Connery from the James Bond franchise. “Trying” soulfully sends a dedication to everyone who’re giving it all of their effort while the crooning “Used To” talks about moving like he’s driving on track these days.

“Velour” kicks off the final leg of the LP by recalling a series of conversations Slug has with a chick he can’t wait to see as soon as tour ends until traveling “Westbound” to go back in time over a rap rock instrumental. “XXX” talks about Rhymesayers being around for 3 decades already while the single “Yearning” tackles the universal ache for belonging. “Zorro” featuring Zoodeville finishes up with both parties confident of their own heartbeats making a mark.

Contemplating the way time shapes society & that even the dullest can be transformative, Atmosphere gets to the root of life’s complexities throughout Jestures capturing personal evolution without romanticizing the past or fearing the future. Ant’s rich production shifts from electro-glitch to somber drones & playful twang soundtracking Slug’s story of progress & building toward a future defined by resilience & creative clarity.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!