Ms. Rachel – “I’m So Happy” review

Ms. Rachel is a 43 year old YouTuber, social media personality, educator, activist & singer/songwriter from Biddeford, Maine who has become the modern day Mr. Rogers from her channel surpassing 20M subscribers to sticking up for children that’ve been affected by the Gaza genocide. Her husband in Broadway music director & composer Aron Accurso producing an entire LP’s worth of children’s music however seemed to gain more anticipation than the full-length debut Let It Go, the sophomore effort I’m Up to No Good or the Over the Moon for You extended play combined.

The title track opens up with these colorful piano chords & choir vocals in the background singing about being in a good mood & nothing changing that whereas “I Love a Rainbow” featuring Mr. Aron finds the couple teaming up for a cheerful ode to rainbows over an instrumental that sounds like hotel lobby music. “Icky Sticky Bubble Gum” continued from there singing about the textures of chewing gum prior to “Phonics” running down the entire alphabet.

“Hop Little Bunnies” takes a more delicate approach altogether singing about waking up sleeping rabbits with this sweet 95 second tune while “Caterpillar” featuring Mr. Aron spends a couple minutes observing the beauty of moth/butterfly larva. “Up & Down” works in some more keys so the Accursos can teach the youth their directions leading into “Bubble Pop” whimsically singing about 4 fishes swimming in the water & pretending to be a number of different aquatic animals.

As for “Walkin’ at the Zoo”,’ we have both Ms. Rachel & Mr. Aron going on a zoo date together over some more pianos hanging behind them while “Open Shut Them” gives us their rendition of the classic nursery rhyme. “I Could Be Your Friend” reaches the midway point of I’m So Happy suggesting she can make companions out of anyone who’s listening while “I Listen to My Body” soulfully sings about paying attention whenever their bodily functions send a message to either of them.

“The Wheels on the Bus” featuring Mr. Aron of course dates back almost 9 decades ago with the Accursos putting their own spin on it while “Dino Play” featuring Mr. Aron sings about prehistoric life to continue the 2nd half. “Pop Those Bubbles” featuring Mr. Aron encourages all the kids popping the bubbles being blown their away before they hit the ground while “Old MacDonald” covers the traditional 1706 nursery rhyme of the same name.

Mr. Aron returns for “If You Should Meet an Elephant” to do some vocal harmonizing for over a minute while the aptly named “Counting to 20!” spends 56 seconds testing one’s ability to count to that specific number. After covering the 1780 spelling game “Bingo” & the mid-19th century folk song “Looby Loo” respectively, Ms. Rachel makes it clear that having “Big Feelings” are completely acceptable while “Together” explains the meaning of what she & Mr. Aron consider friendship. “I Love You to the Moon” concludes I’m So Happy expressing the gratitude she has for all of her supporters.

It’s completely understandable if this review shocks anyone since I’ve never covered children’s music up until this point & I may not have any kids of my own, but I do have a nephew turning 4 this fall who’s enjoyed a handful of Ms. Rachel’s videos in the past & get the feeling most parents will put on I’m So Happy for their little ones as much as Raffi or even They Might Be Giants for the foreseeable future since the Accursos managed to create a mix of newly written material along with renditions of traditional children’s songs. I’ll even put it above John Legend’s recent album My Favorite Dream produced by Sufjan Stevens.

Score: 3/5

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Wheeler Walker Jr. – “Pullin’ Out” review

Ben Hoffman a.k.a. Wheeler Walker Jr. is a 51 year old comedian, actor, writer & musician from Lexington, Kentucky known for parodying outlaw country music since his 2016 full-length debut Redneck Shit in response to his feeling towards the state of modern country music (more specifically the bro-country subgenre). The creator of the short-lived Netflix adult animated series Hoops that would later be cancelled after 1 season due to the extremely poor reception went on to follow it up with the sophomore effort Ol’ Wheeler, WW III, Sex, Drugs & Country Music and Ram continuing to drum up more controversy for his raunchy subject matter. As someone who finds more humor in Ben’s music than his own filmography, the anticipation for the Pepper Hill Records founder’s 6th & final LP was certainly there.

“Pullin’ Out” sets the tone for pretty much Wheeler Walker Jr.’s entire musical output singing over a country instrumental about receiving oral in Tennessee whereas “Pussy & Pills” goes for a Americana direction working in some pianos out to the gate to explain that those, liquor & kush being the only things he needs. “Whiskey Dickin’” comes though with an old school saloon vibe for a comedic drinking anthem leading into “Fuck This Bar” angrily calling everyone in the bar except for himself a piece of shit.

If one couldn’t tell by the name of “Waiting for the Drugs to Kick In”, we have Wheeler singing about taking drugs & the effects of them revealing itself in a matter of minutes just before suggesting flushing an “Old Piece of Shit” down if anybody doesn’t want that type of person near their vicinity. “Big Tittied Lady” kicks off the 2nd half singing about this woman being the one who saves him daily while “Why Aren’t You Sucking My Dick?” asks that very question dabbling with country rock.

“D.S.L. (Dicksuckin’ Lips)” winds down the last act of Pullin’ Out throwing it back to some of the late, great Johnny Cash’s output instrumentally singing about a woman who’s always giving brain while “Let’s Get Drunk, Do a Buncha Drugs & Fuck” calls for everyone to party hard with him. The closing track “Nice Titties!” finishes up spends the remaining minutes of the album with 1 last vulgar ode to the kinda women you’d see at Hooters.

Artists like Morgan Wallen, HARDY, Ella Langley & Stella Lefty were never really my type because I’ve always leaned more towards country artists like The Highwaymen & I’d place Pullin’ Out amongst some of the better artists in that style to drop in 2026 no question of it. Anyone who’s never heard of him will obviously trip out when they listen to this or any other Wheeler Walker Jr. song & another reason I wouldn’t mind if his stuff plays is since a handful of people including myself look at it in a “Weird Al” Yankovic kinda way.

Score: 3.5/5

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Kardinal Offishall – “Firestarter 2: everyday, sometimes…” review

Kardinal Offishall is a 50 year old rapper, songwriter, producer, DJ & record executive from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who made his debut in late ‘97 with Eye & I. The sophomore effort Firestarter: Quest for Fire albeit major label debut under MCA Records would make him the ambassador of the Canadian hip hop scene even if Fire & Glory, Not 4 Sale, the Nottz-produced A.M.T.R.I.M. (Allow Me to Re-Introduce Myself) mixtape & Kardi Gras: The Clash were all welcomed to mixed reception. Over a decade later & he’s returned for his 6th studio LP.

“Heavy’s the Head” triumphantly opens up talking about the weight of the crown he’s wearing whereas “40 Acres & a Ferrari” featuring Black Thought & Stove God Cook$ finds the trio discussing it not being too late for them to receive those 2 things over a boom bap instrumental. “All Nighter” featuring Konshens & T-Pain goes for a pop rap vibe talking about staying up for an evening with their partners but once “Kiss Me When I” admits he hates it when his lover leaves, “Top 3” featuring Buju Banton & Idris Elba ends the 1st leg with a boastful reggae anthem.

Nesta appears for the remix to “My Brother’s Keeper” to kick off the 2nd half continuing showing more love towards Jamaican culture while “When You’re in Love” once again confronts themes of romance over a more subdued beat. “Bombay Sunsets” featuring Idris Elba returns to the boom bap so they can bring it hardcore & after “When There’s Smoke” aggressively talks about the consequences of any beef poppin’ off, the title track ends Firestarter 2: everyday, sometimes… telling us the way he’s been feeling since the previous full-length.

Admittedly: I wasn’t so sure whether or not Firestarter 2: everyday, sometimes… would live up to the expectations set out by the predecessor considering almost everything he’s done since has left audiences divided. And contrasting the previous installment capturing Kardinal Offishall at the height of his career, this sequel provides a glimpse of where he’s at a quarter of a century later as the ambassador of Canadian hip hop maintaining his signature dancehall style outside of some boom bap & pop rap detours. I can respect that.

Score: 3.5/5

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Adult DVD – Self-Titled review

Adult DVD are a dance-punk band from Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom consisting of bassist George Manson, drummer Jonathan Newell, guitarist Danny Blackburn, backup synthesist Jake Williams, co-founding synthesist Greg Lonsdale & frontman Harry Hanson. Forming in the middle of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic when Harry & Greg were sending music to each other on the internet, they would eventually drop their debut extended play Fountain of Youth in 2023 & the follow-up Next Day Shipping arrived a year later. Signing to Fat Possum Records back in January, they’re ready for an eponymous full-length studio debut.

“Do As I Please” begins with this dance punk intro singing about nonconformity whereas “Coffin Dodger” keeps the dance punk revival vibes in tact so Harry can describe avoiding death. “Cold Caller” goes for a synth-punk direction suggesting that one can really get what they want just before Adult DVD treads the dance punk waters once more singing about waking up one day feeling serious & becoming what they call a “Minimal Criminal”.

The new rave-inspired 4th & final single “Jesus Christ Supercar” sings about feeling like the son of God under the influence of drugs while the 2nd single “Cowboy on Aisle 3” gets humorous with the songwriting to end the 1st leg of the band’s self-titled offering, embracing the dance punk aesthetics once more. “The Steaks are High” maintains the dance punk revivalism so Harry can observe the increasing pricing of beef while “World’s Best Boss” sings about only shaking this guy’s hand because he’s in charge of his job.

“All I Need” reaches the backend of Adult DVD’s inaugural LP with some of the most carefree dance punk throughout the entire half hour while “Ghillie Suit” would make one think of the late Prodigy frontman Keith Flint right when it instantly plays & I have no doubts that would’ve made him proud. “Real Tree Lee” introduced these guys as part of the Fat Possum roster with a lead single reminiscent of Fontaines D.C. mocking a secluded right-winger & the 3rd single “Rolling Face” ends in the form of this synth-punk outro singing about there once being comfort in sound & pleasure in the peace when time passed.

Citing The Prodigy amongst their biggest inspirations alongside LCD Soundsystem, this debut album elevates the potential we initially saw in Adult DVD when they initially formed & make a broader introduction to the dance punk revival, synth-punk, big beat, electroclash & new rave ideas of their early EPs introducing a handful of different characters with massive egos for the purpose of thinking people would consider them assholes if they wrote from their own perspectives.

Score: 4/5

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Action Figure 973 – “Dark Side of the Ring 4” review

Another extended play & the 15th overall from Belleville, New Jersey emcee/producer Action Figure 973. For a while at this point, his first couple mixtapes followed by his last 14 EPs & the full-length debut DOOM Was Right over a year ago giving flowers to one of my all-time personal favorite albums Madvillainy have each established himself as a promisingly skilled luchador who so happens to rap. The Most Interesting Man in the World got with Machacha for his sophomore effort last October, coming off What Would Harley Race Do? as well as & the baseball-themed Polo Grounds produced by DiMaggio & Souled Out for a 4th installment of the Dark Side of the Ring series only 48 hours after Vince Russo announced his departure from Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW).

The intro “Know You Role” references the current AEW World Tag Team Champion Adam Copeland shooting it with former AEW World Tag Team Champion, FTW Champion, DEFY World Champion, the inaugural NWA World Television Champion, NXT Champion & NXT North American Champion Ricky Starks whereas “Rap Is Still Crap” continues from there giving a nod to former WCW World Tag Team Champions the West Texas Rednecks.

“Going to Kill You” gives a nod to a chant originated by current AEW commentator, former 2-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion, 2-time ECW World Television Champion, the inaugural 2-time FTW Champion & 4-time WWE tag team champion Taz just before “R.I.P. Vince Steel” pays tribute to the late New York performer. “Junkyard Dog” however ends the 1st half remembering the late WWE Hall of Famer & former WCW World 6-Man Tag Team Champion.

We get a lo-fi boom bap instrumental on “20 Minute Blowjob” so Act-Lo can keep it hardcore until “3rd Man” includes a reference to the WWE Hall of Famers nWo’s debut 3 decades earlier. “Main Event of Thunder” calls back to WCW’s secondary program Thunder & the outro “Macho’s Elbow Drop” wraps up Dark Side of the Ring 4shouting out the late the late WWE Hall of Famer, former 6-time WWE world champion & WWE Intercontinental Champion Randy Savage.

From the Polo Grounds theming itself around America’s favorite past time to Souled Out celebrating his birthday describing some trips he took overseas, Dark Side of the Ring 4 mainly takes it back to what made Action Figure 973 one of the most interesting figures in the underground whether it be the raw production or the witty lyricism including gems that only professional wrestling fans would understand better than most.

Score: 4/5

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Kiefer Shackleford – “Memory Bomb” review

Kiefer Shackleford is a 34 year old pianist & producer from Los Angeles, California who properly introduced himself nearly a decade earlier off his full-length studio debut Kickin’ It Alone & the sophomore effort Happysad respectively. When There’s Love Around as well as It’s Ok, B U & Something Real would all follow to similar reception but coming off FATHERS’ eponymous debut a couple months ago, Kiefer’s signing to the great jazz label of all-time Blue Note Records for his 6th studio LP.

“Daydreaming” by Cisco Swank & Relyae opens up with both of them lusciously singing about a romantic fantasy with CARRTOONS playing bass & Luke Titus handling drums whereas “Nowhere Fast” by Rae Khalil takes a funkier approach refusing to give up her heart that she’s keeping safe. “Overture” hits us with the first actual compositional piece playing keys with Nate Smith on the drums & Shibo on bass giving heavy instrumental hip hop vibes for a few minutes until “NewLevels NewDevils” by Erick the Architect & Tony Stone goes full-blown jazz rap.

Relyae takes the microphone once again during “Get to the Moon” except Amber Navran’s accompanying her for this glamorous R&B duet letting CARRTOONS play bass once more leading into the title track enlisting tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III, guitarist Flanafi & bassist Shibo to make the core of Memory Bomb amongst it’s most exquisite moments. “Entr’acte” feels like more of an 89 second interlude to end the 1st half that could play in the middle of an [adult swim] bumper while “BusyForYa” by Planet Giza sings about not having time for this individual.

“Won’t Be Long” by Amber Navran & Phil Beaudreau with Shibo playing the synthesizers & bass depicting a couple assuring each other that none of them are ungrateful for the lessons learned preceding a breakup while “Don’t Fail Me Now” pulls inspiration from instrumental hip hop again, letting CARRTOONS program the drums behind these synths. “Can’t Let a Good Thing Go” by Gareth Donkin sings about refusing to move past something in life going correctly & after the exuberant “As She Was”, the closing track “I Let My Hair Grow” ends Memory Bomb handling all the instruments by himself.

Known for honing his own style that he refers to as “Over the Breaks”, the FATHERS album made me even more interested in what Kiefer Shackleford was artistically capable of doing from an individual standpoint & would say Memory Bomb joins DOMi & JD Beck’s recent sophomore effort WHO ASKED? in being one of Blue Note’s more average releases on 2026. His distinctive blend of jazz improvisation & hip hop production more richly textured than his earlier output regardless of the guest vocalists being a mixed bag.

Score: 3/5

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Remy Ma – “Alimony” review

Remy Ma is a 46 year old rapper from The Bronx, New York City who Big Pun brought into the Terror Squad some time before his death. Her full-length debut there’s something about remy: based on a true storycame out 2 decades earlier to positive reception following her debut mixtape Most Anticipated although BX Files, BlasRemy & I’m Around weren’t as great. Coming off her divorce from Papoose, she’s preluding a sophomore effort with a brand new extended play of material.

“Rem the Pen” actually wasn’t bad of an intro hopping over an apocalyptic boom bap instrumental from Ron Browz to talk about the possibility of her never speaking to Nicki Minaj again, but then “Cry in the Wraith” featuring Tink & produced by Hitmaka continues the enjoyability levels getting in their feelings a bit. “Who Raised You?” however reaches the halfway point with the exact moment where things begin to decline, wanting to know who raised these new bitches over a bland beat.

Kicking off the 2nd leg, “Why I Get Married?” gives us a response to Papoose’s “Jezebel” that just feels absolutely embarrassing both instrumentally & in terms of Remy’s own performances while “Altar” throws more shots at Pap’s way returning to the boom bap accusing him of dumbing herself down for the only purpose of building himself up. “W.Y.F.L.” spends the remaining minutes of this Alimony declaring herself to be a mogul over a generic trap beat.

Soon as Remy Ma & Papoose began trading disses towards each other, I joked that it’s Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake for people who enjoyed watching Love & Hip Hop because I personally was never a fan of that whole series of reality shows & Alimony pretty much prove my point outside the first couple tracks. It starts off hot until losing steam right when the halfway point because of some inconsistencies regarding the production that I hope are resolved when the next album arrives.

Score: 2/5

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Tinashe – “Popstar” review

Here we have the 5th studio LP from Lexington, Kentucky singer/songwriter, dancer & actress Tinashe. Breaking out over a decade ago off her first 3 mixtapes In Case We Die as well as Reverie & more specifically Black Water, her RCA Records-backed debut Aquarius was as well received as the latter although her debut EP Amethyst was moderately received & the 4th tape Nightride was seen as an improvement. She would later depart RCA following the sophomore effort Joyride going independent on both Songs for You & 333respectively to better reception again, coming off BB/Ang3l & Quantum Baby to sign with Atlantic Records for Popstar.

“Sunglasses” produced by Arca kicks things off singing about seeing straightforward tunnel vision whereas “Too Easy” blends ghettotech, pop rap & techno bass boasting that she makes this shit look simple. “Melatonin” could have a chance at becoming the best single of 2026 masterfully combining ghetto house, ghettotech, acid techno, electroclash, tech house & hip house singing about those sleeping on her prior to “Empty Stadium” sampling “Rebound” by Audrey Nuna describing the rush she gets when rehearsing.

We have Tinashe taking a more somber approach during “Flashbacks” apologizing to her partner for talking shit whenever she gets turned on while the 44 second “Overdramatic” feels underdeveloped because I really enjoy DJ Camper’s jazzy trap beat & the brief verse. “I’d Rather Be Alone” mixes elements of trap & alternative R&B depicting the unwillingness of continuing an unhappy relationship while “Crash Out” experiments with ratchet & hyphy retaining the PBR&B & pop rap textures losing her shit.

“Pillow Fight” begins the 2nd half showing a more playful side to herself singing about falling in love with someone instantly while “Nobody Wanna Dance Anymore” goes EDM to make some commentary regarding that specific scene that’s others have made equally well. “25/8” atmospherically finds herself going beyond the limits daily while & after the “The Show Must Go On” intermission, the title track brings us to the core advising against dating a Popstar.

The song “Brainrot” makes a bold comparison between her numbness towards insincere affection & the Internet culture phase popularized by Gen Z & Alpha that I found to be genuinely funny while “Cloud 9” warmly sings about being in paradise with basslines that keep hitting you in the chest. “Heavy Weight” spends the remaining minutes of the album stripping it back for an acoustic outro confessing she’s been carrying this baggage for some time.

Returning to a major label for the first time in almost a decade, Atlantic makes it up to everyone for the mediocre responses to Miley Cyrus’ own debut for the imprint Bass Persuades last weekend with what I’m sure many will consider Tinashe’s finest artistic statement for years to come. The alternative R&B, electronic dance music, post-dubstep, pop rap, alt-pop & UK bass production embodies her own definition of what makes a Popstar & she sounds more confident than she has previously.

Score: 4.5/5

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Protomartyr – “Hotel Usona” review

Protomartyr is an art/post-punk band from Detroit, Michigan consisting of guitarist Greg Ahee, drummer Alex Leonard, bassist Scott Davidson & frontman Joe Casey. Releasing their debut No Passion All Technique in 2012, the sophomore effort & Under Color of Official Right & The Agent Intellect under Sub Pop Records would turn more heads & Relatives in Descent has become their most celebrated material yet. Coming off both Ultimate Success Today & Formal Growth in the Desert though, the teasers for their 7th studio LP had me more excited than either of it’s predecessors.

“The Old Hotel” kicks things off with this post-punk intro likening the US to a hotel that’s been neglected for a long period of time whereas the lead single “Sounds We Cannot Hear” blends post-punk, noise rock & art rock to sing about tinnitus. “Converts” makes brutal critiques towards JD Vance & Peter Thiel respectively but once the 3rd & final single “Exalted Eagles” fuses art rock & post-punk to condemn the rise of fascism, “The Knife Dream” could go down amongst Protomartyr’s most haunting tracks.

Meanwhile on “Feed the Sewer”, we have Joe & company fusing noise rock as well as post-punk & post-hardcore for a warning regarding the dangers of AI just before “Lavender – Gospel” breaks down the AI database system used against Palestinians in accelerating the Gaza genocide. “3rd Country” winds down the last few moments of Hotel Usonadetailing the heartbreaking reality of families being separated via deportation & “Checking Out” sends off the album singing about America making him & many others disillusioned.

12 months from now will already be an entire decade since Relatives in Descent revealed Protomartyr’s artistic evolution beyond the Under Color of Official Right & The Agent Intellect eras, but Hotel Usona has now dethroned it to become the most powerful musical statement in their 2 decades of existence. The post-punk, art rock, goth rock, noise rock & post-rock production doesn’t lose it’s richness at any point during the 45 minutes & they conceptually make a disturbingly realistic comparison between the state of this country for almost 2 years & an abandoned hotel rotting from within.

Score: 4.5/5

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Madopelli – “The Unkindness” review

Yes, this is the brand new LP & 5th overall from California City horrorcore duo Madopelli. Consisting of M.A.D & Ant Dog, the pair have also gone on to drop a couple of mixtapes & EPs ever since forming in 2016. Their sophomore effort albeit Lyrikal Snuff Productionz debut No Bluffin’ proved itself to be Madopelli’s most refined work to date both lyrically & sonically to the point where they were instantly accepted within the Gorehop realm. The follow-up Stories from the Sanctum later resulted in both members making their LSP debut as solo artists with Sadistic Symphony & M.A.D (Me Against Death), coming off Suffer Not Dishonor to discuss The Unkindness.

After the titular intro, “Repeat It with Me” begins with an aggressive intro representing the squad leading into “Remember That” sends a message to the people acting like they don’t know. “Where We Dwell” featuring Ganjre the Great finds the trio describing this darkness creeping within themselves & after “Wicked Soundz” talks about giving 0 fucks, “Better Dayz” sends positivity towards anyone listening who’s going through something advising to keep their heads up.

“Ghost in Ceiling” gets the 2nd half going asking if everything will be alright in the end because M.A.D & Ant are each at a low point mentally just before “My Way Out” continues from there talking about how they feel like simultaneously dying & climbing further away until they’re undiscoverable. “Whut!” makes it clear that neither one of them have time for nonsense & the final song “Void” preceding the outro angrily concludes The Unkindness people’s hearts growing dark.

It’ll already be a couple years since Madopelli dropped Suffer Not Dishonor within the next few months & in preparation for Team Snuff getting ready for a wave of new music in time for Halloween roughly 4 weeks from now including Scum’s 17th album Nobody Spared in a couple weeks & the sophomore effort from albeit LSP debut from their newest signing the King of Horriblecore sometime afterwards, both of them observe The Unkindness that the world has slowly devolved into with the darkest of the 4 full-lengths they’ve made.

Score: 3.5/5

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