Young Thug – “UY SCUTI” review

Atlanta, Georgia rapper & singer/songwriter Young Thug releasing his 4th studio LP fresh off a series of controversial jail phone calls being leaked. Proving himself to have impacted the modern sound of trap music whether some heads like him or not, he has achieved this by dropping classic mixtapes like Barter 6 & JEFFERY or starting up his 300 Entertainment imprint YSL Records & even the clothing line SP5DER. He made his full-length debut So Much Fun in 2019 executive produced by J. Cole & was one of the best trap projects of that year, but the 2021 sophomore effort P*nk received mixed reviews although I thought it was still solid although not as good as the debut & Business is Business felt like the closest we’ll get to a Metro Thuggin’ project for now. Approximately a month following his now ex-girlfriend Mariah the Scientist’s most important offering of her career Hearts Sold Separately, the Atlanta trap trailblazer has finally made up for UY SCUTI’s delays.

“Ninja” produced by Southside & Dez Wright starts with a surprisingly exciting trap intro derailed by dropping the hard R whereas “Yuck” featuring Ken Carson teams up over a Taurus instrumental to discuss shit getting lit. “On the News” featuring Cardi B finds the pair on top of a London on da Track beat to ask what it feels like seeing their faces on the television while “Catch Me I’m Falling” recalls meeting with Brian Steel when incarcerated.

Metro Thuggin’ reunites for “Fucking Told U” to talk about their respective lifestyles just before “Whoopty Doo” hilariously pokes fun at his interview on the Perspektives podcast earlier this month with Wheezy. “Blaming Jesus” has one of my least favorite instrumentals on the album despite the theme of needing real love & pleading that it’s not a phase prior to “Sad Slime” talking about his falling out with Gunna.

“R.I.P. Big & Mack” featuring T.I. unites both trap pioneers of their own generations for a historic Atlanta moment remembering the late Lil Keed who Thug wishes he cherished more than some of the other former artists on YSL while “Invest Into You” by Metro Thuggin’ goes pop rap/trap to talk about investing into Mariah & vice versa. “I’m So Dope” boisterously boasts of his legacy within the subgenre of trap while “Pardon My Back” featuring Lil Baby starts the 2nd half dropping braggadocio.

Sexyy Red joins Thug on “Mami” for a fun strip club banger while “Whaddup Jesus” featuring YFN Lucci squashes the beef between the 2 with an average collaboration over a synth-heavy TM88 beat. “Walk Down” featuring 21 Savage unites both local trap stars over a trap instrumental with some bells to rep their own sets while “Pipe Down” by Cactus Slatt locks in with Metro Boomin’ talking about nobody being richer than them.

“Spider or Jeffery” featuring Quavo lets their lovers know the 2 names that they prefer them to call them by whilst praising God for allowing them to beat the corrupt system while “Revenge” featuring Lil Gotit & 1300SAINT unites the trio to seek pure vengeance.“Money on Money” featuring Future talks about loyalty to their individuals circles & disdain for snitches while “Dreams Rarely Do Come True” featuring Mariah the Scientist is a 2-parter humorously comparing him crying to Gunna snitching to crying over a bitch.

The final single “Miss My Dogs” ends with an apology to everyone addressed in the leaked jail calls while the country trap hybrid “By the Police” starts the deluxe run throwing it back to the Beautiful Thugger Girls era. “Pussy Smell Like This” asks if any younger artist is shinin’ the way he is while “All Your Time” leans heavier towards the pop rap style with lustful lyrics. “Safe” with Leon Thomas III tackles his insecurities that his reputation overshadows while “I Put A” featuring the late Lil Keed talks about these rap dudes not being his kind over a Mike WiLL-Made It beat.

“Rosetta Stone” appreciably takes its cues from the Beautiful Thugger Girls days again although the “fuck that lil’ 13” line made me cringe while “Yes You Can” suggests to let others take his style as long as they ain’t taking his life. “Fighting Depression” happens to be a P*nk outtake that ATL Jacob cooked up talking about feeling superb yet trying to fight for something that he feels deserving of while “It’s Ok to Cry” remembers his late homie who passed away in 2020. “Spit in My Mouth” talks about getting freaky with a Japanese woman in bed & the final bonus track “Birthday Boy” featuring Mariah the Scientist reunites with each other 1 last time for an R&B/pop rap duet seeking trust.

Taking into consideration that this is the first proper solo effort from Young Thug since P*nk because Metro Boomin’ produced 60% of Business is Business over 2 years ago, all the controversy surrounding the YSL founder a few weeks ago had me a bit worried regarding the final product of UY SCUTI. However, I actually enjoyed his final project under 300 Entertainment & Atlantic Records a lot more than P*nk excluding Business is Business & would easily put it above The Last Wun. It’s exciting to hear him with other producers on Metro’s level & Thugger’s more introspective since coming home.

Score: 4/5

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Tha God Fahim – “Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 16” review

Atlanta, Georgia emcee/producer Tha God Fahim starting the 2nd season of the Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap saga with his 64th EP. Starting as an affiliate of Griselda Records & being 1/3 of the Dump Gawds alongside Mach-Hommy & Your Old Droog, we also can’t ignore the massive discography that he’s managed to build for himself, some of the standouts include Breaking Through tha Van Allen Belts & Dump Assassins. He’s been putting out amongst his best material in the past few years like the Camoflauge Monk-produced Dark Shogunn Assassin, the Nature Sounds-backed Iron Bull, the Nicholas Craven-produced Dump Gawd: Shot Clock King series, the Oh No-produced Berserko, the Mike Shabb-produced Dump Gawd: Rhyme Pays, Tha Supreme Hoarder of All Pristine Wealth, Supreme Dump Legend: Soul Cook Saga produced by Cookin’ Soul & Machine Gun Vocabulary produced by Cartune Beatz. Almost 3 months since the season finale of the Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap series, the 16th installment has arrived not even 24 hours after being announced.

“Sword N Shield” begins Season 2 with a sumptuous boom bap beat talking about the 2 things he lives by whereas the drumless “Flip” shows off some lyrical acrobatics. “Safe & Dangerous” explains that it’s common knowledge he’s amongst the greats bring the kicks & snares back in the fold while “Flareon” soulfully talks about taking control of what’s his

The song “Spiteful Suffering” continues the 2nd half of the EP chopping up more soul samples & speeding it’s pitch up unloading the Glock at anyone who makes a false move while “Super Effective” talks about being a unique lyricist whenever he rhymes over a piano instrumental. “Good Bad Ugly” ends the S2 premiere observing the abundantly repugnant shadiness of the world as we know it currently.

Spending the past 11 weeks to recharge themselves, Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 16 gets back to business like they never took a break in the first place. Nicholas Craven’s production on this one is primarily catered to the styles boom bap, drumless & chipmunk soul clocking in at 16 minutes & Tha God Fahim dumpin’ precise bars by himself lost most entries.

Score: 4.5/5

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Santana Fox – “She’s a Rebel!” review

This is the 2nd EP from New York emcee/producer Santana Fox. Notable for being the daughter of the late Prodigy of Mobb Deep fame, she eventually followed in her father’s footsteps making music of her own couple years after his untimely passing putting out a handful of singles up until the full-length debut Girl Next Door. Her previous EP Eye Candy a year & a half ago was a crucial moment in her career not only for her producing it all by herself, but her improved lyricism too. We were supposed to get Femme Fatale last October & although it’s still not here, She’s a Rebel! looks to prelude it.

After the titular intro, the first song “‘Till the Angels Come” sets the tone with an eeriely self-produced boom boom bap opener talking about making muhfuckas disappear without a trace whereas “Raspy Berry” promises that she’ll get revenge on a hoe in the afterlife. “Deja Vu” featuring Big Twins & Chung finds the trio over a spooky boom bap instrumental advising not to get them hyped while “Taboo” featuring Hus Kingpin suggests for their competition to give up.

“Daydreamin’” starts the 2nd half of the EP with Fox by talking about getting on it like she wants it & wanting her cup to get poured up while “Crash Out” featuring Mijita takes a more promiscuous tone lyrically. “Lucky Girl” featuring Pohlosweater cautions that anyone runnin’ their mouths around them will get socked & “Lip Gloss on the Blunt” ends She’s a Rebel! by talking about trusting her intuition’s rather than giving a fuck what anyone else thinks.

In preparation for Mobb Deep’s upcoming 9th & final album Infinite getting ready to come out under Mass Appeal Records in a couple weeks, Santana Fox has delivered yet another EP capitalizing on the artistic growth that began unraveling 18 months ago. Her production skills have flourished tremendously since the last time we heard from her & her pen’s gotten sharper, although I personally could’ve done without a couple guests.

Score: 3.5/5

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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

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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 Endeavor-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

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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

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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

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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 or the Nazi 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

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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” talks about the consumption of psilocybin.

“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 fire to 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

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Nation of Language – “Dance Called Memory” review

Nation of Language is a synthpop & new/minimal wave band from Brooklyn, New York consisting of synthesizer player Aidan Noell, bassist Alex MacKay & frontman/guitarist/percussionist Ian Richard Devaney. Releasing their full-length debut during the COVID-19 pandemic in May of 2020 in the form of Introduction, Presence followed by A Way Forward & Strange Discipline, they would sign to Sub Pop Records earlier this spring & are making their official debut for the label with their 4th studio album.

“Can’t Face Another One” opens with an indie synthpop intro bleakly singing about Ian not wanting to take on another day that has only begun whereas “In Another Life” throws it back to the sounds of 2000s electronic music instrumentally feeling like love’s a waste of time. “Silhouette” moves forward by pleading for an outline on the wall to give itself up just before “Now That You’re Gone” takes a moment to remembers Ian’s late godfather, who succumbed to ALS the year prior.

Synthpop, new wave, dream pop & shoegaze all collide during the lead single “I’m Not Ready for the Change” taking up the halfway point to examine a group of old friends who’ve all gone their separate ways just before “Can You Reach Me?” sings about not knowing it was possibly for serendipity to frown upon him & going into complete retreat mode.

“Inept Apollo” combines synthpop & new wave together for an exploration of the complex relationship between creative work & emotional healing while the gorgeously pulsating “Under the Water” assures that Ian’s not turning into anything that he isn’t whilst paying homage to the 80s synthpop era.

The final single “In Your Head” nears Dance Called Memory’s conclusion by carrying over the aesthetics of the previous song tackling intrusive thoughts one may have in the process until the closer “Nights of Weight” sends off the LP singing about the human condition as we know & addressing the concerns most of society has with the technological advancements we’ve seen in AI this past year or 2.

Ditching the minimal wave elements of their previous work entirely, the Nation of Language’s inaugural opus under Sub Pop Records feels more spectral & spacious compared to the band’s earlier material. Their synthpop production pulls heavier from new wave in addition to indie pop, post-punk revival, art pop, shoegaze, indietronica, dream pop & alternative dance achieving their goal of expanding what their music can evoke whilst hoping to distract us from our depression when we’re feeling down on our luck.

Score: 4/5

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