This is the 8th studio LP & from Charlotte, North Carolina recording artist BigBabyGucci. Starting almost a decade ago off his debut EP ART HOE Collection, he would continue to build a name for himself by putting out 19 more EPs as well as his last 7 full-lengths & his last 5 tapes along the way. When U Wake Up, When You Go to Sleep, Baby 5 & the heavily alternative ANTI have all become his strongest material of the 2020s although I can’t the same for Isolation 2.5 a month after the latter. Internet Explorer was a fun redemption for himself, following up And When I’m Alone as well as Serotonin & Asleep at the Wheel to drop Temporary Fix.
“Por Vida” opens up with a cloudy trap instrumental talking about being out here livin’ his life whereas “Trust Issues” expresses his refusal of trusting anyone who isn’t from his side of town & being in Miami feelin’ untouchable. “LeBron” featuring Benzeli finds the pair putting bands on the floor on some young shit over a rage beat leading into “Euphoria” admitting the Benjamins are his main focus & that he could give a fuck less about fame.
Meanwhile on “Backpainz”, we have BBG psychedelically talking about his back hurting from carrying the game just before “Paranoia” cautions against letting the drugs spill. My favorite track here would easily go to “Where in the World?” produced by Internet Money Records in-house producer Nico Baran reaching the midway point of Temporary Fix getting crossfaded so he can ask this woman where she wants to go for a night out she desperately needs.
“Face It” gets the 2nd half of Temporary Fix officially underway talking about his bitch being bad & pourin’ drinks in the back of the club he couldn’t even measure over a plugg instrumental while “Oceanz” discusses splitting racks with his team & sliding with tints so dark, he can’t even see outside. “I’m Him” issues a stern warning of splitting heads open as a repercussion for speaking ill against his team while the Indicud-inspired “Tolerance” talks about getting high & doing whatever he wants every night.
The song “Blackout” feels like a cross between rage & digicore discussing him curving a bitch off ecstasy & demanding to have someone tell him which body to drop since he’s off the pill while “Goin’ Steady” talks about him staying in the kitchen along with silencing every single last person who’s been playing with his name. “Fake Rich” concludes the album in the form of 1 last digicore cut admitting to eating steak when he only came for the gravy.
So it was brought to my attention a few weeks earlier that BigBabyGucci has been having some trouble with his distributor ONErpm, but Temporary Fix gives me hope of them sorting out their issues continuing to prelude these next couple albums he has ready to go Side Effects & 1 Long Trip by taking it back to 2018 making the funnest music he possibly can without having any pressure kicking his drug addiction in favor of drinking more.
Sleep is a revered stoner metal band from San Jose, California consisting of drummer Dale Crover, guitarist Bubba Dupree & their only constant member in co-founding bassist/frontman Al Cisneros. Their 1991 full-length debut Volume 1 was solid, but Holy Mountain along with Jerusalem & Dopesmoker have all become stoner metal landmarks of their own. Returning in 2018 with their highly acclaimed 3rd Man Records debut The Sciences, they’re back again almost a decade later for their 6th studio LP albeit 2nd for Jack White’s indie label.
“Have Spacesuit Will Travel” conceptually inspired by Robert A. Heinlein’s novel of the same name left me torn as both a lead single & and intro because I didn’t feel like it pushed the stoner metal, space rock or stoner rock sounds forward in any way until “The Morrisist” comes through with another take on those styles that I’d consider decent at best except there’s a noticeably heavier Om influence than before & it’s brevity makes a good justification for being the 2nd & final single. However, Dale’s drumming left me equally unimpressed as Bubba’s guitar work.
The messy stoner title track would easily be my lest favorite if I had to pick one largely in part of the guitar tones being ripped out of the Kyuss playbook hence why it makes for my least favorite song here & once the 11-minute jam session “Arrival of the Industry Ships” delivers some of Al’s finest singing performances although his bass is blown out to the point where it can be distracting for some listeners, the closer “Whole Wheat Mountain / Well Baked” finishes Hempispheres oddly saving some of Bubba’s finest shredding for last.
This being Sleep’s being first album without co-founding guitarist Matt Pike was a huge concern of mine going in & although I still hold these guys in high regards, Hempispheres has the most likelihood of becoming the weakest entry in their discography yet unfortunately. I don’t mind Al Cisneros’ subdued vocals or the heavy psych undertones & even Dale Crodder’s drumming as someone who appreciates the Melvins, my issue lies with a great deal of Bubba Dupree’s riffs feeling thin compared to Matt’s & that’s why the stoner metal outfit’s newest incarnation leaves me on the fence. Either Bubba steps his game up or Al & brings Matt back.
The Hierogylphics are an alternative hip hop collective from Oakland, California comprised of de facto leader Del the Funky Homosapien, Casual, Pep Love, the Souls of Mischief, DJ Toure & producer/manager Domino. Making their full-length studio debut in 1998 with 3rd Eye Vision independently through Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings to widespread praise, their 2003 sophomore effort Full Circle was also welcomed positively although their follow-up a decade later The Kitchen generally left audiences divided. 13 years later & they’re warming up for the crew’s annual Hiero Day festival this weekend with their 4th studio LP.
“Mosaico: Suite 1” by Casual, Del the Funky Homosapien, Opio & Tajai produced by Domino talks about hip hop respecting liars in 2026 & having no expecting of their albums becoming fire whereas “Eyes Wide Shut” by A-Plus, Del & Pep Love finds the trio confronting all the fraudulent hate over an A-Plus instrumental. “Hieroglyphics Faction” by A-Plus, Del & Opio representing their crew over a boom bap beat from DJ Toure while “Hard Numbers” by Casual, Del, Opio, Pep Love & Phesto expresses hope of having their numbers correctly.
A-Plus & Pep Love team up for the summery “Something in the Air” talking about wanting their legacies to reflect integrity when the time comes for them to hang it up leading into “Drum Talk” by Casual, Del the Funky Homosapien, Phesto & Tajai discusses letting the drums do the speaking in preparation for their slick rhymes being laid out. “The Way That It Be” by Casual, Phesto & Tajai talks about being stuck in their ways that pay ‘em leading into “Gods & Goats” by A-Plus, Opio & Pep Love ending the 1st leg likening themselves to bishops making proclamations.
The title track kicks off the 2nd half uniting A-Plus, Pep Love & Phesto expressing that they’d rather have a small piece of something in the end instead of absolutely nothing while “Uplifted” by A-Plus, Casual, Del the Funky Homosapien, Opio & Tajai tackles the subject of optimism. “Helicopter Barrel Roll” by A-Plus, Opio & Pep Love regroups so they can explain themselves as hip hop’s gasoline & every mic being a matchstick while “3rd Eye Robot (Kill ‘Em All)” by A-Plus, Pep Love, Phesto & Tajai talks about the rise of AI within the past couple years.
“Hiero on the Scrolls” by Casual, Del the Funky Homosapien & Tajai opens the 4th quarter suggests seeing past the streets & the meager mouths while the groovy “Mosaico: Suite 2” by A-Plus, Pep Love & Phesto dismisses all theatrics coming around them. “Everyday Shit” by Casual, Opio, Pep Love & Tajai talks about kickin’ it with each other all the way back to their childhood whole “Crescent Moon, Velvet Sky” by Casual & the Souls of Mischief sends off All Said & Done taking their play amongst hip hop excellence.
It’s not very often where all 9 members of the Hieroglyphics get together in the studio for an entire project but if I had to rank the 4 LPs in their catalog, All Said & Done would be placed above The Kitchen & Full Circle as my 2nd favorite of theirs collectively behind none other than 3rd Eye Vision. The boom bap production’s less receptive than The Kitchen’s was back when I had finished my sophomore year of high school & the consciously abstract bars from the Bay Area’s finest MCs feel more memorable, pretty much looking back at the legacy they’ve left behind.
2nd studio LP of 2026 & the 16th overall from Chicago, Illinois emcee Novatore. Breaking out as a member of the Infamous Crew, he’s also built up an impressive solo career over nearly a decade by dropping 4 EPs & an acclaimed collaborative effort with A.M. Early Morning produced by Stu Bangas called Kingdom of Criminality & it’s recent sequel produced by Johnny Slash. Other highlights include Louie, Louie II, Embrace the Darkness, Portrait of a Madman, Embrace the Darkness II: Explorers of Experience, Master of Morbid Creations, Living in the End Times, Alchemy & Black Magic, his Goon MuSick debut The 87 Arsonist & the Brenx-produced Agoraphobia. Embrace the Darkness III became his greatest material since signing to the label, coming off Pale Horse of the Apocalypse to run it back with C-Lance on Machines.
After the intro, “Metal Hands” flows over a boom bap instrumental to kick things off talking about being the man whereas the 2nd single “Apple Pie” featuring Copywrite finds the 2 linking up so they can get in their battle rap bags lyrically. “Casket” talked about considering death a beautiful escape in a paranoid state of mind & once the title track featuring Merkules joins forces to wipe out any team threatening them, “Terminator ‘91” ends the 1st half discussing his love for horror films.
“Devil in the Pale Moon” begins the 2nd half pulling the curtain back on artists who claim murder rap when it’s nothing more than suburban rap leading into “Action Stars” featuring A.M. Early Morning talks about neither one of them needing a stunt double. “Lords of Chaos” featuring Lord Goat provides the pinnacle of hardcore hip hop for only a couple minutes while the 3rd & final single “Message from Beyond” appropriately concludes Machines talking about the end being nearer than initially believed.
Retaining the dark tradition of Novatore’s whole sound, C-Lance runs it back with him to further reveal how much he’s evolved artistically since Louie II & the Embrace the Darkness trilogy Pale Horse of the Apocalypse in becoming my favorite of the 2 full-lengths the Chi-Town artist has dropped this year. His hardcore lyricism & C-Lance’s production have come a long way since the turn of the decade, but I was happy to see a condensed guest list.
Hartford, Connecticut emcee Fuego Base releasing a sequel to his full-length studio debut in the form of a sophomore effort. Getting his start a few years ago off his debut EP Tell My Momma Imma Rapper, he would continue to build up his catalog by going on to drop another EP called Tell My Momma Imma Rapper Still & the Say Dat mixtape trilogy prior to Buffalo’s very own Benny the Butcher signed Fuego to Black Soprano Family Records. Coming off Biggest Since Camby as well as Say Dat 4: Proof of What God Do & Tell My Momma I’m Still a Rapper, he wants the world to know he’s Still the Biggest.
“Barbour St” strips the drums to open up shop talking about being in the hood because he’s a product of it instead of being poverty stricken whereas “Hartford” takes the boom bap route instrumentally for an ode to his hometown. The title track featuring Benny the Butcher finds the pair linking up to talk about how Fuego’s spot as the hottest prospect in his city hasn’t changed while ‘“93” discusses not knowing who one is until life tests you.
Sule appears for “T.E.I.O.” (To Each Is Own)” talking about making the bail & running along with rappers being 40 not doing shit with their careers leading into “Open Book” kicks off the 2nd half explaining the very reason he gives fans all of himself in his music. “Getting Out” talks about death, prison or copping a bigger house being the only choices possible of escaping the streets while “Rejoice” preaches hymns for his kinfolk somehow emerging where throats stay slit.
“Thank God 2” talks about touching people whenever he opens his mouth to speak & having an addiction to the game as bad as the junkies he served dope to while “Honda 2 Rari” cavernously admits he wouldn’t know where his mental state would’ve been if his squad wasn’t there for him when his mother passed away. The outro “Survivor’s Remorse 2” sends off Still the Biggest talking about not changing anything if he had the opportunity of rewriting his story.
3 & a half years since Fuego Base declared himself the Biggest Since Camby after signing to B$F, he’s continuing to let the work he’s putting in speak for itself several months since he & Benny linked up for their Ashes in the $afe collaborative extended play to deliver an exceptional sequel to his full-length studio debut. Was somewhat disappointed with the production lacking the same heavy hitters that made Still the Biggest’s counterpart so impressive, but there’s no denying his status within Hartford hasn’t changed since.
Nottingham, England, United Kingdom rapper & producer Skaiwater celebrating their birthday with their 4th studio LP. Beginning in 2019 off their debut EP After God Fear Eve, the 4ersona member would go on to put out 7 more EPs along with a mixtape & a couple albums, the most notable being their 2024 sophomore effort #Gigi under GoodTalk Records & Capitol Records fully realizing on the potential that was shown on their earlier material. wonderful was the most rage-inducing entry of their catalog & they’re ending the month giving fans what they’ve wanted for a long time: femme fatale.
The self-produced “vampires, zombies” drumlessly kicks things off confessing to their astrological girlfriend that they feel like their relationship’s beginning to move backwards whereas the single “Hitunes” blends plugg & Asian rock thanks to BenjiCold making attempts at fucking the lights outta this Texas woman. “delilah” co-produced by Internet Money Records in-house producer Nico Baran vibrantly talks about getting drunk on the weekends prior to “ella” hooking up this pitched vocal sample so they can get their girl anything she wants.
“WEVERSE” talks about him sobering up from alcohol as a result of a hangover that fucked their whole entire life up while “nana” concludes the 1st leg confronting a chick for playing them like some kinda fool. “angels” begins the 2nd half asking his baby girl if she forgot where she came from & needing her by their side because their love doesn’t go to waste just before “sophia” featuring Sophie Gray comes through with a duet about a couple feeling better around each other.
Meanwhile with “BAITFACE”, we have the tiger lily running it back with BenjiCold telling a hoe to cut off her friends & acknowledging her love for cocaine while “radar, radar” talks about having their eyes locked on this wealthy baddie in a club. “foreigner” winds down the last few moments of femme fatale flexing they’ve been rich since 19 & being with someone whose father doesn’t mind them being British over a dancehall beat while the closing track “JUMP” concludes the half hour wearing Rick Owens boots when servin’ pack.
Originally set to come out at last Christmas following the artwork being unveiled nearly 12 months ago until getting scraped in favor of wonderful back in February, I couldn’t think of a better way for Skaiwater to commemorate their day than to finish the most anticipated album of their entire career largely handling the pop rap, Afroswing, pop reggae, dancehall, zouk, coupé-décalé, trap, plugg & Asian rock production by themself other than BenjiCold & Nico Baran making some unparalleled contributions of their own expressing their appreciation for the female divine energy.
Atlanta, Georgia record label YSL Records founded by Young Thug dropping their 3rd showcase compilation & their first since going independent. Releasing both Slime Language & it’s sequel in tandem with 300 Entertainment & Atlantic Records, the whole roster has since been revamped after Thug came home including the Tezzus as well as his Uy Scuti Bøyz cohort diamond* & more recently iyrus. However coming off The Resurrectiøn & Bling Slime this summer, Slime Language III looks to conclude the trilogy with a double disc chapter.
“Gotta Love Us” by Young Thug & diamond* featuring BSlime & Pz’ produced by Wheezy talks about laying out everyone going against them whereas “ØWAYSL” by Thug & Tezzus featuring BSlime, Rob49 & Sk8star references the greatest QB of all-time Tom Brady over a PROJECT4PLAY instrumental. “What’s Up Mami” by Thug featuring Biggs Money finds the pair hideously taking a more seductive approach in terms of subject matter while “Mob Guys” by Biggs Money, Lil Unky & Quavo talks about being gangstas.
Lil Unky sticks around with Young Thug on “Function” talking about pulling up to 10 hoes at the spot just before “Club Outside” by Thug featuring Lil Baby gets London on da Track with Southside discussing transforming the trap house into a studio since making music’s more fun anyway. “Wait for It” by BSlime & Papito El Franklins was a moment I could’ve done without delivering a boring pop rap/trap crossover talking about their success until “Eaters” by Thug & Tezzus featuring Future, Travis Scott & Yeat unites for an ode to sex.
“Grandma’s Baby” by Young Thug featuring Veeze links up so they can talk about their grandmothers’ raising them in the projects of the ATL & Detroit respectively over a sample-driven trap beat leading into “Black Friday” by Thug featuring Lito the Plug boasting that bitches love when they’re in their gangsta bags. “Myself” by Thug featuring Biggs Money talks about preferring being rich instead of not having food for a day over a Mike WiLL Made-It instrumental while “Ønly ØWay” by Tezzus featuring Skrilla quenches for blood whilst standing on business.
The Uy Scuti Bøyz accompany Young Thug for the single “Hood of Atlanta” representing their hometown over a Feardorian beat while “YSL” by Yume featuring Thug shifts towards a largely melodic direction for a trap soul duet repping their set. “Crocodile Skin” by BSlime brings a more playful aura to the table instrumentally only knowing these Ws they’re catching regardless of the average performances while “Tezzus & diamond*” by the Uy Scuti Bøyz featuring Cash Cobain & Quavo talks about all 4 artists living their lives like stoners.
“Shawty Shawty” by Young Thug featuring HittMan bogs the quality down again uneventfully calling for their goes to come to the spot & drop it for them while “Biggest Since Mike Jack” pairs Jorjiana, Lito the Plug & Sk8star talking about being the most popular Indiana celebrity since the late King of Pop when Tyrese Haliburton’s had that spot for some time. “We Dead” by Thug featuring Trippie Redd spends a couple minutes getting materialistic while “Bvlgari” by iyrus & Yung Kayo featuring Biggs Money, Lil Unky, Lito the Plug concludes Disc 1 chartering shit for 8 minutes with iyrus & Kayo each spitting the hardest verses.
iyrus & Young Thug kick off Disc 2 having Lil Unky & Pz’ joining them during the playful sounding “Believe That” talking about YSL being the hottest imprint out in the streets while “Cha Ney Ney” by Thug & the Uy Scuti Bøyz looks to go high top with the Balenciaga over a rage beat. Another single “Consummate” by Tezzus & Thug maintains the hypertrap elements talking about wanting to fuck their partners while “Tonight” by diamond* & 1300SAINT hops over an Honorable C.N.O.T.E. instrumental speaking of the team rockin’ red for an evening.
“NaNaNa” chiefly feels like a diamond* solo joint since he’s handling both the verses by himself other than Sk8star providing a few lines towards the 2nd & final one while “Say Dat” by iyrus, Young Thug & 1300SAINT talks about the trio originating in the belly of the beast. “Baddies” by Biggs Money & Cash Cobain got a chuckle outta me since it’s that bad of an attempt at going sexy drill while the 2-parter “Birthday” by Thug featuring Bay Swag & once again Cash Cobain was only a slight improvement in comparison.
Taurus gets behind the boards for “Switch Up” by Young Thug featuring BSlime talking about betrayal over some acoustics & hi-hats while “Weird” by Thug featuring Biggs Money & Lil Unky confronts individuals for acting stranger than usual around them. “Freaky Girl” by diamond* hooks up an iyrus beat that reminds me of GTA VI talking about being with a bad bitch who likes to get wild behind closed doors while “Bounce It” by Biggs Money & YKNIECE whips up a blandly redundant ass-shaker.
“Snakes on My Collar” by diamond* & the late Lil Keed was actually a profoundly bittersweet moment like having both of YSL’s past & present generations colliding while “Stole It from Us” by iyrus & the Uy Scuti Bøyz talks about people stealing their swag over a pluggy Pi’erre Bourne instrumental. “Fernando Mendoza” by Tezzus featuring Lil Unky & Sk8star shouts out the Las Vegas Raiders’ rookie QB of the same name while “Countin’ Up” by Young Thug featuring Lil Righteous talks about thumbin’ through stacks.
Tezzus & Yung Kayo have Lito the Plug joining them for the bell-woven “Skyami” boasting they kill shit similarly to a theatrical film whole “Lil Bruh” by Young Thug featuring Biggs Money talks about winding up dead if one even dares of testing them. “Losing Sleep” by diamond* & Yume goes full alternative R&B/trap soul promising to make each others’ dreams become reality while “What It Do” by Thug & his brother Unfoonk at last puts an end to Slime Language III with a conflicted country trap outro.
This Halloween will be 2 whole years since Young Thug came home & considering the amount of time he’s spent since to rebuild YSL Records now they’ve gone independent signing some of the biggest trap artists in recent memory, it gave me the impression of Slime Language III possibly surpassing both it’s predecessors to become the saga’s finest entry. There are several instances where I liked the performances & production, but it overstays it’s welcome after a bit as a result of being ridiculously bloated & would imagine myself revisiting it more if all the needless filler was removed.
Everlast is a 57 year old rapper, singer/songwriter, & producer from Los Angeles, California by way of Long Island, New York who originally came up in the early 90s as the frontman of House of Pain & a founding member of La Coka Nostra. He would eventually go on to drop 8 solo efforts, with the Tommy Boy Records-backed sophomore effort Whitey Ford Sings the Blues being my personal favorite of the bunch. I was however excited to learn the Martyr Inc. Records founder 9th solo LP & first in a decade would be fully produced by Yelawolf.
“Losing Man’s Game” kicks things off with an Americana intro asking himself why he can’t walk away from this game he keeps playing where he never wins whereas “Never Coming Home” sings about being on the run over a country rock beat. “Mistaken Identity” takes a more somber approach instrumentally finding himself all alone in the streets of Los Angeles just before “My Hollywood” sings about being fed up with the small town life over some acoustics.
Meanwhile on “Broken Heart for Hire”, we have Whitey Ford detailing a kind of love that doesn’t work like it used to leading into “Stones” singing about the self-awareness of being fed up with & acknowledging it by claiming he’s sick of himself also. “Out of Your Way” kinda has this singer/songwriter flare to it putting us inside the shoes of a single, simple, lonely man who maintains a heart of gold & a broken soul while “Lies” sings about tightly holding his lover until the break of dawn.
“Rubber Bullets” gets the 2nd half of Embers to Ashes going making a country-flavored comparison between kinetic impact projectiles & real ammunition while the country rock-tinged “Every Dog Has It’s Day” sings about riding off in the sun because he was born to lose. “Ain’t Coming Home Tonight” finds himself callin’ a woman he argued with at 4 in the morning only for her to send him to voicemail while “Love Don’t Heal” sings about his heart being unfixable & trying to do so would be a waste of time.
The title track recalls going from champagne & crystal glasses to drinking cheap whiskey out of plastic while “1987” looks back at the times when nothing else mattered nearly 4 decades earlier going to house parties broke as fuck. “Happy it’s Can Cry” sings about every dark night meeting its dawn & after protecting his “Peace of Mind” instead of buying some time selling his soul, the outro “Young Man” ends Embers to Ashes singing of living this fast life getting old.
A large portion of Everlast’s material since the turn of the millennium already has either been average at best or underwhelming at worst, so Embers to Ashes seemed like it had all the right reasons of becoming his finest late-career statement & it’s certainly a comeback that makes the absolute most sense. Yelawolf’s production bases itself around Americana & bluesy roots-rock for passionate tales of glory grasped & lost, the sudden swerves that change a life’s trajectory & hard-earned wisdom & warnings. Listen to this instead of Stella Lefty’s awful debut Long Way Push.
Here we have the 4th studio LP albeit his 3rd under the $uicideboy$‘ very own G*59 Record$ from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada rapper, songwriter & producer Night Lovell. Emerging in 2014 when he dropped his debut EP I’ll Be Back & then following it up 4 months later with his debut mixtape Concept Vague, heads continued to turn in 2016 off the sophomore tape Red Teenage Melody & the 2019 full-length debut Goodnight Lovell. His sophomore effort & G*59 debut Just Say You Don’t Care was a step above the album before that, coming off I Hope You’re Happy to use My Blood as the Ink for his return.
“Sick & Tired” was a simply modest 2nd & final single talking about being fed up with people acting like they fuck with him when they really don’t amongst other issues like haters waiting for him to fold whereas “This Ain’t K-Pop” bombastically claps back at the artists who weren’t build for this shit. “Stranger” goes for a murkier trap vibe instrumentally talking about a solid muhfucka being hard to come by until explaining he sheds a “Gangsta Tear” every time he looks at the mirror.
We have Lovell over another dark trap beat during “Pawn Shop” talking about turning fuckboys into ghosts & people tryna take his spot just before the slower “Cigarette” admits there have been several times he’s considered callin’ it quits from music. “Fight Night at Gitanes” kicks off the 2nd half frighteningly talking about waking up every day to a whole different side of himself while “Bleed” discusses being trained to kill over a cloudier instrumental.
“Flip the Switch” nears closer towards the conclusion of My Blood as the Ink talking about people not understanding what he’s been through & exactly what it does to him but the “Message to You” skit, “Piñata” further embraces the trillwave aesthetics confessing he’s been learning to better himself in addition to life occasionally having it’s duller moments. “Run” wraps it all up with a cloudy trap lead single talking about having no time to focus on his own life.
I Hope You’re Happy was more positively received than Just Say You Don’t Care despite my personally appreciating it for the G*59 debut it was, but I feel like My Blood as the Ink could be Night Lovell’s weakest offering since joining the label. His songwriting & performances are there except I find the production largely uninteresting. If he hunkered down with someone like $crim or Dynox & even Chetta, then I believe he could make some of the most important music of his decade-plus career.
Here is the 4th studio LP from Tokyo, Japan singer/songwriter Hakushi Hasegawa. Making their full-length studio debut in 2019 with Air Ni Ni following their first couple of extended plays iPhone 6+ & Sōmoku Hōdō, the sophomore effort I’m Dead! would come out in 2023 & impressed the Los Angeles, California producer Flying Lotus so much to the point where he signed them to Brainfeeder Records distributed by Ninja Tune. Mahōgakkō has since become some of the label’s greatest material ever recorded & have returned 25 months later to give their Honest Feeling.
“Little Briar Rose” takes inspiration from the fairy tale of the same name singing about a century-long dream being fun to have & after the 40 second “Gettinhereroute” intermission, “Nausea” continues the glitchy jazz vibes assuring the story will always stick with you no matter where one goes. “Boss-Moire-FS” takes a more chaotic approach for the musical equivalent of a panic attack layering these spoken word bits & saxophone while “We the Ominous Warriors” abstractly sings about being in a messy kiss state.
We have Hakushi on “Why the Hell Do I Have to Say Everything From 1 to 10 Each Time Each Time Each Time Each Time?” manically explaining that anyone who doesn’t have a thumb buddy is a nobody just before the lead single “The Owner of Sweetness” blends shimokita-kei, indie rock, glitch pop, deconstructed club, pop punk, noise rock, slacker rock & noise pop singing about hopes of returning to an ungastropodish place. “Grace” later combines glitch pop, art pop, electro-industrial, deconstructed club, avant-garde jazz, epic collage, electro-industrial, industrial rock, experimental rock & tearout brostop for an eclectic 3rd & final single.
“Thief Cat Thief” after “The-End-FS” intermission embraces a quirkier sound singing about Don Planta’s book not being here because they already replaced it while “Suffocation Diary” after the “Permanent-Trompe l’Oeil-FS” interlude fuses indietronica, alt-pop, alternative R&B, neo-psychedelia, glitch pop & alté shouting out the late SOPHIE amongst others including Arca. “Witchkeeper” dabbles with spoken word for a few minutes over these strumming acoustics & once “Vanilla Value” colorfully suggests their ending would be a suitable finale, “Never Lack Nothing” sends off Hakushi’s boldest statement yet singing about being the decorators of the blackout curtain.
Honest Feeling further validates Hakushi Hasegawa as one of the most exciting artists in on Brainfeeder & could very likely become the imprint’s strongest release this year. Their glitch pop, experimental, art pop, avant-garde jazz, glitch, deconstructed club, avant-prog, nu jazz, jazz-rock, indietronica, alt-pop, alternative r&b, neo-psychedelia, glitch pop, alté, shimokita-kei, indie rock, pop punk, noise rock, slacker rock, noise pop, electro-industrial, industrial rock, experimental rock & tearout brostop feels more expansive than Mahōgakkō in time for the season of flutter arriving thanks to her new live band Haha & the Hairpins.
