Tag: album review

Chaka Khan – “Chakzilla” review

Chaka Khan is a 73 year old singer/songwriter from Chicago, Illinois who’s earned herself the title of the Queen of Funk after releasing Chaka, Naughty, Whatcha Gonna Do for Me?, self-titled, I Feel for You, Destiny, ck & The Woman I Am under Warner Records. I don’t even mind the NPG Records-backed Come 2 My House all that much either, considering it quite possibly her finest material since her Warner days. It’s been over 7 & a half years since Island Records dropped Hello Happiness & the iKhan Sounds founder’s going independent for her 13th studio LP.

The title track opens up singing about waiting for this moment her entire life & being a giant on top of a synth-funk, dance-pop & nu disco instrumental whereas “Boogie’s in My Soul” featuring WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg comes through with a nu disco/dance-pop ode to Chaka & Melle Mel’s rendition of “I Feel for You” by the late Prince. “Curious Subject” embraces a synth-funk vibe singing about the friends she’s lost saying she has a lot going on & after “Cool You Down” featuring Sia teams up for a reggae duet regarding men who take their breath away, “I Know You Can” ends the 1st leg declaring herself to be the real one.

“Bring the Party” featuring Lenny Kravitz kicks off the 2nd half of Chakzilla warmly singing about today being all we have just before “Always Love the Challenge” reminds the world she likes it rough & her capability of maintaining her own balance. “Heart of Gold” brings some heavy synthesizers in the picture singing about a partner who she firmly believes is the one for her but once “Now & Forever” pleading for this person to become her man for all eternity, the outro “Dreamy Stuff” sends off Chakzilla

Regardless of the fact a great deal of Chaka Khan’s output for the past 4 decades has mostly been welcomed to lukewarm reception, I can definitely say Chakzilla makes some points in terms of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer still having a place in today’s musical landscape even after becoming a spiritual guru hosting meditation sessions online becoming the most I’ve enjoyed a full-length from her since the underrated Come 2 My House. Greg Kurstin gives her some of the strongest production she’s had since being signed to the Purple One drawing inspiration from synth-funk, dance-pop, nu disco & reggae advising the world to find our power no matter where we’re at in our lives.

Score: 3.5/5

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Miley Cyrus – “Bass Persuades” review

This is the 10th studio LP from Franklin, Tennessee singer/songwriter, actress & director Miley Cyrus. Breaking out as the older sister of Noah Cyrus & the 2nd eldest daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus, she achieved greater success as the titular character on the The Walt Disney Company-owned Disney Channel teen sitcom Hannah Montana preceding her first 3 full-lengths Meet Miley Cyrus alongside Breakout & Can’t Be Tamed under Hollywood Records were equally met with mixed or negative reception. Same goes with The Time of Our Lives. Her debut for RCA Records during my junior year of high school Bangerz was when her music started to improve since I prefer songs like “#GetItRight” produced by The Neptunes over it’s biggest hit “Wrecking Ball”. Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz became a polarizing take on neo-psychedelia psychic pop even with The Flaming Lips’ involvement, Younger Now went for a mid country pop direction aside from a DJ Premier remix of the title track, She’s Coming missed the landing with R&B & electropop and Plastic Hearts was a decent way to fulfill her RCA contract following her divorce from Liam Hemsworth of the mid A24 Films thriller Cut Bank. Moving over to Columbia Records, her debut for them Endless Summer Vacation once again divided public opinion. Coming off the widely celebrated Something Beautiful, she’s signing to Atlantic Records for Bass Persuades.

The title track combines electropop, dance-pop electroclash, electro house & synthpop singing about putting our phones down & getting lost in the music whereas “Different Religion” featuring Model/Actriz teams up for a pop rock duet praying to a new God together. “Let’s Get Married” acknowledges her engagement to Maxx Morando last winter carrying over the pop rock vibes instrumentally & after “Orbit” sings about being swept off her feet around him, the dance-pop cut Aftermath” sends a clear message to Liam Hemsworth that she was never his.

“Redlights” further embraces a dance-pop style singing about fearing nothing & going where ever Maxx does while “Neon Signs” featuring Andrew Wyatt suggests they could keep each other company regardless of not being each other’s specific type treading the pop rock waters once more. “Innocent Ways” makes a public confession regarding her being better to her sister Noah following their reconciliation merely days before Dolly Parton’s passing & once “Snow” atmospherically standing at the edge of eternity falling similarly to snowflakes itself, “Smile” ends with a dance-pop cut Maxx’s smile getting her high.

Moving past the themes of rising above all the trauma in her life, Miley Cyrus’ debut for Atlantic unfortunately takes it back to the averageness that’s defined a great deal of the output in her historic career. Bass Pesuades’ production moderately caters more to pop rock, dance-pop, electropop, soft rock, alt-pop, electroclash, electro house & synthpop as opposed to the predecessor’s vast exploration of countless different sounds reflecting upon her current relationship with Maxx Morando & the love she’s found within herself.

Score: 3/5

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Beck – “Ride Lonesome” review

Beck is a 56 year old musician, singer/songwriter & producer from Los Angeles, California who released his full-length studio debut Golden Feelings & Stereopathetic Soulmanure independently until signing to DGC Records for his most celebrated opus Mellow Gold preceding 1 Foot in the Grave. Odelay, Mutations, Midnite Vultures, the Geffen Records-backed Sea Change, his Interscope Records debut Guero, The Information & the Danger Mouse-produced Modern Guilt were all equally praised although his ongoing Capitol Records tenure has been hit or miss. Coming off Morning Phase as well as Colors & the Pharrell-produced ハイパースペース, the Fonograf Records founder’s back for a self-produced 15th studio LP.

The title track combines singer/songwriter, contemporary folk, Americana & alt-country for a melancholic take on loneliness whereas “Run Away” pleads for this individual not to leave, assuring there won’t be anything left to say whenever the apocalypse comes. “In the Night” explores chamber folk, singer/songwriter, art pop, Americana, chamber pop & folk rock so he can sing about lost love while “Failed Words” yearns to turn the world back to be with this individual 1 last time.

“Disappearing Act” blends singer/songwriter, chamber folk & art pop for the 3rd & final single tackling the unknown just before “For Your Love” kicks off the 2nd half of the album incorporating some strings to sing about wandering ruins only because of the affection Beck has for this person waiting down in the lowlands. “Slow Canyon” acoustically continues from there yearning to meet his lover inside a hurricane while “It Ends Right Here” sings about putting a stop to the search for this person he’s addressing.

Winding down the last leg of Ride Lonesome, the song “Falling Through My Hands” gently describes this lover who Beck met at a point in his life where he felt like he was sinking considering her a martyr of the battle while the piano-driven “If You Don’t Know What Love Is” sings about not knowing anything at all in response to the idea of not understanding the concept of love itself. The closer “Beyond the Light” spends the last 5 & a half minutes taking inspiration from Americana again asking if his partner remembers the dying of the light when the sun set on their love.

Some people didn’t think Beck would make anything as great as Modern Guilt ever again considering the mixed reception of his output in the last 2 decades, but he finally did it with Ride Lonesome. His production ditches the synthpop, alt-pop, dream pop, neo-psychedelia & electropop experimentations of it’s predecessor in favor of embracing the sounds of alt-country, singer/songwriter, art pop, chamber folk, contemporary folk, Americana, chamber pop & folk rock reminiscent of Morning Phase & Sea Change’s rich atmospherics for a reflective return.

Score: 4.5/5

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Anthrax – “Cursum Perficio” review

Anthrax is a thrash metal band from Queens, New York consisting of rhythm guitarist Scott Ian, drummer Charlie Benante, bassist Frank Bello, lead guitarist Jon Donais & frontman Joey Belladonna. Making their full-length debut in 1984 with Fistful of Metal under Megaforce Records, the Island Records-backed sophomore effort Spread the Disease & Among the Living would both cement themselves as one of thrash’s Big 4 pioneers. State of Euphoria & Persistence of Time were both solid too although I can’t say the same for their Elektra Records debut Sound of White Noise or Stomp 442 & Volume 8: The Threat is Real. We’ve Come for You All was a tight return to form for them but coming off the superior Worship Music & For All Kings through Megaforce in tandem with Nuclear Blast Records, they’re reuniting for their 12th studio LP.

After the “Persistence of Memory” intro, “The Long Goodbye” opens up with an ode to Charlie’s father battling Alzheimer’s whereas “It’s For the Kids”combines thrash & groove metal so Joey can sing about always sticking to the plan without having to make any improvisations. “Everybody’s Got a Plan”swaps out the thrash elements in favor of a traditional heavy metal sound with a groove metal twist quoting WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson while “The Edge of Perfection” masterfully blends heavy metal, groove metal, thrash metal, progressive metal, blackgaze, black metal.

“NYC 93” enjoyably throws it back to the Sound of White Noise Days days which is widely accepted as the best of the 3 offerings to come outta the John Bush-era as someone who personally wasn’t a fan of that point in the band’s career while the title track sings about reaching the end of a journey. “T.O.M.B.” poses the question of what could go wrong after stealing silver from the eyes of a dead man & after the thrashy “Watch It Go” sings about bartering evil as necessary by any means, “My Victory” concludes Cursum Perficiopondering if one can win the hearts & minds with or without them.

There were some concerns whether or not Anthrax was gonna hang it up after Cursum Perficio until Charlie Benante confirmed that wasn’t the case but nevertheless, I can confidently place this decade-long comeback above Worship to hold the bragging rights of being the finest material they’ve made this century. They threw out a bunch of old tunes they’ve already had since at least 2023 & made some new ones inspired by thrash metal, groove metal, heavy metal, progressive metal, blackgaze & black metal documenting their entire journey to stardom.

Score: 4/5

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Jake Xerxes Fussell – “The Old Beloved Path” review

Jake Xerxes Fussell is a 44 year old singer/songwriter from Columbus, Georgia who made his eponymous full-length debut over a decade. He would go onto follow it up with What in the Natural as well as Out of Sight and Good & Green Again preceding him signing to Fat Possum Records. His debut for the label When I Called arrived only a couple years & coming off the soundtrack to Rebuilding last fall, he’s making a secular comeback for his 6th studio LP.

“#1” has producer Ben Whiteley playing bass & organ as well as Wayne Horvitz on harmonica for a compositional intro whereas “Rock Island Line” embraces an Americana vibe covering an old traditional folk standard. “Every Time I Go to Town” acoustically sings about what occurs whenever he revisits his neck of the woods but after “Rosin Some” declaring today to be the day to chew on some resinous pine tree material, “Boney” hits us with another rendition of a traditional work song.

We have Jake pairing Ben & Dominic Billett for synthesizer duties so he can cover the British folk standard “Early, Early in the Spring” to further commence the 2nd half of The Old Beloved Path while “Boll Weevil” gives us his own take on a track Lead Belly recorded nearly a century ago including parts where Isa Burke’s playing a fiddle & mandolin. “Sandy Land” covers a traditional folk song dating back to the 19th century & “Of All the Beast-est in the World” sends it all off with this acoustic 114 second closer singing about how he’d rather be a painter.

Creatively stemming from Jake Xerxes Fussell’s perception of traditional music becoming increasingly intense as he gets older, The Old Beloved Path achieves the goal Ben Whiteley had set out in the studio documenting a handful of musicians providing live instrumentation for a half hour’s worth of folk music reimagined that further. If anyone else has heard the Minyo Crusaders’ 3rd album From Japan with Love earlier this summer, you’re probably gonna like this as much since it additionally captures his growth as an artist rather than sounding vaguely similar to those who came before him.

Score: 3.5/5

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AzChike – “No Rest for the Wicked” review

AzChike is a 31 year old rapper from Los Angeles, California who dropped his first couple extended plays Cult Up & Chike the Greatest almost a decade earlier preceding the My World mixtape & his full-length studio debut Rich & Ratchet under Atlantic Records. G Oh D, Chike Different, I.S.W.I.L.L. (It Sound What It Look Like), Chizzle Chizzle & Spooky Summer were all decent too but his 7th studio LP albeit Warner Records debut looks earn more respect following a couple teasers that were highly praised.

“Mercy” begins with Chike talking about not needing dirt to bury anyone & not popping out unless summoned because he’s west coast royalty whereas “Lamb Truck Keys” produced by Pharrell tells his partner to give it to him & to put her hands up if she wants a Lamborghini over a cumbia sample. “Sky Rockets” goes for a boom bap vibe thanks to Terrace Martin finding love through the smoke & fire while “God’s Favorite” talks about being too up.

Bongo gets behind the boards for the romantic “Need Your Love” yearning for his partner’s affection just before “Look Like My Mama” featuring Tyler, The Creator finds the pair trading bars with each other over a hyphy/ratchet instrumental from the latter. After the “Are You Tired Yet?” interlude, “Wonder” kicks off the 2nd half flowing over a Sounwave beat talking about all the things he thinks of whenever going to sleep while “Negative” hits us with a GNX outtake he kept for himself.

“Packed Up” embraces a trap vibe thanks to Hit-Boy talking ’bout his watch as long as time’s ticking while “Uncomfortable Conversations” maintaining his patience to get some shit off his chest. “The World is Ours” instrumentally reminds me of the Bastard era talking about throwing bands & after “Rock Bottom” talks about struggling to get his mind right, “Hateful + Ungrateful” ends No Rest for the Wicked spitting a lengthy verse regarding him feeling unappreciative.

ScHoolboy Q, Kendrick Lamar & more recently E-40 have all given AzChike the stamp of approval when they got him to make appearances for their latest full-lengths Blue Lips as well as GNX & Turning My Money Over respectively within the past 2 & a half years, but No Rest for the Wicked really elevates himself with the most consistent statement of his entire career. The nervous, trap & hyphy production has made some huge upgrades compared to Chike’s earlier output so he can paint vivid street imagery with only a few guests.

Score: 3.5/5

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Eastside Ninjas – “The Return of the Lotus” review

This is the sophomore effort from Detroit, Michigan quartet the Eastside Ninjas comprised of Jamie Madrox, Monoxide, Blaze Ya Dead Homie & Anybody Killa. All 4 of whom broke out after the Insane Clown Posse signed them to Psychopathic Records in the late 90s/early 2000s, they would eventually form a Pact of the 4 following the formation of their own labels Majik Ninja Entertainment, Grundy Entertainment & Native World Inc. respectively. A Return of the Lotus was announced this summer & was highly skeptical because 2 of the most important petals being missing.

After the intro, “Shadow” produced by Fritz the Cat & Grady Finch combines trap & rock so they can spit the wicked shit talking about death still following them whereas “Eradicate” embraces a darker atmosphere instrumentally admitting to being no good. “Wolves” discusses being left to die only for them to survive an encounter with a pack of carnivorous mammals just before “All of My Words” continues from there finding the Ninjas pleading for the universe to lift this curse off their intestines.

“Resilience” reaching the midway point of the LP showing strength of spirit in their characters when being spoken down upon leading into “Mummified” turning the rap rock influences up so they talk about not being free as long as their corpses are hanging on. “Thoughts Lethal” keeps the guitars in tact breaking down their individually fatal minds while the only single “I Kill ‘Em Better” decently talks about the animalistic monster living within every single one of us.

The song “More Like Control” speaks of never giving up regardless of all the nonsense people would like to try sellin’ ‘em while the rap rock-tinged “Down 4 Life” poses the question of whether or not people would still support them after the situation with Majik Ninja’s ties to Psychopathic being severed almost a decade ago & as much as some would like to say yes, this album has caused reasonably more alienation than their 2020 attempt at reviving the Psychopathic Rydas. “Walking Disaster” spends the last 4 minutes talking about things not going their way with those they used to follow.

I really hope neither Twiztid or Drive-By take my criticisms of The Return of the Lotus personally because as someone who’s always stuck by them after leaving Psychopathic over a decade ago, this feels like an Eastside Ninjas sophomore effort that’s more wicked than the Pact of the 4 because it truly isn’t Dark Lotus without ICP hence why it could likely become the worst entry in MNE’s catalog. Outside of excluding Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW) Commissioner Violent J & the shortest reigning JCW World Juggalo Heavyweight Champion Shaggy 2 Dope’s crucial roles for obvious reasons or even the tolerable production, it’s simply no different than when D-Loc dropped that 25 to Life solo album under the Kottonmouth Kings name.

Score: 1.5/5

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Jerry – “Gayngsta” review

This is the 3rd studio LP from Trenton, New Jersey emcee, singer/songwriter, producer & music video director Jerry. You may know him for coming up as 1/2 of the duo MellowHype alongside Left Brain in the mid/late 2000s under the original moniker Hodgy Beats prior to helping I Smell Panties, Casey Veggies & The Jet Age of Tomorrow form the impactful albeit now defunct alternative hip hop collective Odd Future. He was also the first person in the Wolf Gang to put out a solo effort, dropping his debut mixtape The Dena Tape only 9 months after the crew put out their 1st tape as a unit The Odd Future Tape. Higashi Miyagi would go on to expand his solo discography with 2 more mixtapes & 3 EPs prior to his full-length debut Fireplace: TheNotTheOtherSide a day before my 20th birthday which to this day, I still think it’s possibly the most criminally overlooked offering that we’ve gotten since OF’s disbandment due to how much growth was shown on that album. Entitled was a solid comeback experimenting with contemporary R&B on top of a predominant west coast trap sound, coming off the singer/songwriter explorations of lovemesooner & No Receipt to get in his Gayngsta shit.

After the intro, the title track hops over a bell-woven trap beat so he can talk about being a G whereas “lose your mind” goes for a melodic approach in terms of delivery acknowledging his awareness of this woman doing her best. “slickrick” comes through with more energetic rap verses over a synth-driven instrumental talking about a swindler trying to get shit outta him just before “options” confronts a woman for calling him selfish when he helped her move out the country.

“halloween” chaotically talks about needing the pressure since he’s on the verge of exploding whole “vvs” atmospherically shows off his singing chops once again recalling a woman going away after saying the wrong thing. “pay mee” reaches the midway point of Gayngsta talking about taking whatever he wants in a robbery watching out for schemin’ bitches & double teamers while “W.W.J.D. (What Would Jesus Do?)” includes a line homaging the late, great MF DOOM & talks about running the block so long he’s reached O.G. status.

Continuing the 2nd half, “UK” experiments with a UK drill sound warning that he’ll run up in the flats of anyone disrespecting his family while “wrong” psychedelically confronts a woman who he believes is worth his time although that might not be the case. “skid row” talks about experiencing this world until he died, reaching his prime in his mid-30s & muhfuckas being straight up bums while “east orange” brings some rage vibes to the table reminding everyone of his New Jersey origins.

“heart open” winds down the last few moments of Gayngsta singing about love once more on top of this glitchy beat while “lil bop” cloudily describes a woman who gets dicked down constantly & being content with her running around the streets as long as she isn’t a thot. “n.g.c.o. (not getting cheated on)” talks about going out with a smile on his face & denying the implications of his partner being unfaithful to him while “fairy” ends the album assuring that he doesn’t have anything to worry over.

Jerry himself confirmed at the beginning of the week that he would no longer be rapping because he hasn’t felt inspired to continue making music in that vein for some time, which already seemed apparent when lovemesooner & No Receipt both came out. But unfortunately, Gayngsta doesn’t leave much of a lasting impression on me compared to Fireplace: TheNotTheOtherSide or even the untitled EPs & both installments of The Dena Tape series. Sure it’s bittersweet to hear him making 1 last hip hop offering until fully embracing the singer/songwriter in him, I was admittedly expecting more out of the production.

Score: 2.5/5

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Jhené Aiko – “Westside Whimsy” review

Jhené Aiko is a 38 year old singer/songwriter, musician & producer from Los Angeles, California who was supposed to debut in the early 2000s until Epic Records shelved her. She would eventually return in 2011 when I was in 8th grade for her debut mixtape Sailing Soul(s), which resulted in No I.D. signing her to his Def Jam Recordings imprint ARTium Recordings. She has since become the label’s most prominent artist following her debut extended play Sail Out, her full-length debut Souled Out, the sophomore effort Trip & lastly Chilombo only a week prior to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic taking full effect.

After the “Wild Cat(s)” intro, “Ghost” opens up with this moody instrumental singing about being in a loop whereas “Break” made for a decent alternative R&B single telling Big Sean to take his time upon their split after being together for a decade. I was disappointed Ab-Soul only did ad-libs instead of having a verse on “Love Bomb” although Jhené does holds it down well by herself singing about getting active until “Ceiling” freestyles over a summery boom bap beat cautioning she’s the bitch you shouldn’t do wrong.

“Nothing Nice to Say” explains the very reason she hasn’t been quiet in the midst of someone lying straight to her face just before “He Belongs” instrumentally brings a woodwind in the picture singing about a man who fits in with every woman he meets & everyone else except her. “Like, Whatever” featuring Tyga pretty much encapsulates my feelings towards the latter’s verse & the worst guest appearance here while “You” sings about having a million reasons why this dude isn’t the guy.

To bridge Westside Whimsy, we have Jhené advising “Don’t Be That Guy” taking it back to the boom bap vibes explored earlier leading into “Lullaby” going full alternative R&B again singing about how she’d rather close her eyes than leave his side. “Neighbors” featuring her new partner Larry June blends PBR&B with hip hop expressing the love at first sight they had for one another while “Mine” produced by Boi-1da & PARTYNEXTDOOR sings about feeling happy being with Larry.

“So Good” featuring Kendrick Lamar trades verses over one of the absolute smoothest beats Sounwave has ever made playing off each other perfectly while “Beach Boy” sings about needing a person who knows how to ride when the tide’s too high in the evening. “Unicorn” asks if it would be lovely if she & Larry had their own paradise likening their love to an island only they can go to while “I Don’t Mind” sings about feeling the envy of others whenever she steps inside the room.

The song “Nami’s Haiku” dedicates a brief collection of short form poetry to her daughter & eldest child Namiko Browner over a spacious alternative R&B beat while “A Living Light” takes some more stripped-back approach in terms of sound singing about dying at night only to be reborn in the morning right when the sun comes up. The closing track “Golden Coast” featuring nu jazz duo OHMA spends Westside Whimsy’s remaining minutes telling this individual shining through their darkest nights that they still have plenty of light left.

Confessing the reason it took so long for Jhené Aiko to come back was because life knocked her on her ass, Westside Whimsy still remains a solid comeback regardless of it not reaching the same pedestal Souled Out had when she has the capability of surpassing it. The neo-soul, alternative/contemporary R&B, pop rap & smooth soul production feels grounded in her west coast origins recapping everything that’s happened to her since COVID with a guest list who mostly deliver other than only 1 blatant exception.

Score: 3.5/5

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Bonobo – “Distance in Static” review

Bonobo is a 50 year old downtempo producer from Brighton, East Sussex, England, United Kingdom who made his full-length studio debut at the turn of the millennium with the widely praised Animal Magic preceding him signing to the London indie label Ninja Tune. Dial ‘M’ for Monkey as well as Days to Come & Black Sands all received similar reception despite The North Borders, Migration & Fragments respectively leaving people divided. The teasers building up towards his 8th & most likely final studio LP right here made for some of his most promising material in a long time & I had to find out whether or not those expectations were met.

After the “Dawn” intro, the opening composition “Cycles” lays out the stall quite well for what’s to come cooking up a house instrumental with some live strings in the fold whereas the 2nd single “Fire on the Water” by Arooj Aftab takes a more downtempo approach singing about a fire being set in the water. The 3rd single “Drift” was conceived after he was messing with a 70’s synthesizer feeling like a cross between Trentmøller & Moby while “Talk to Me” by Nicole Miglis blends UK garage, progressive breaks & 2-step to sing about loneliness.

“Uncasually” comes through with a powerful cross between house & techno remembering a friend of Bonobo’s who had passed away a few years ago just before “Always on Your Side” by Joy Crookes reaches the halfway point singing about feeling overwhelmed by the negativity in this world. “Youth’s Fountain” by Nilüfer Yanya hooks up a prominent acoustic guitar looking to do anything because this person’s too far to save her while “Shokoufeh” interestingly builds itself around sampling an Iranian caltax performer of the same name.

Aanya Martin takes the microphone for “Can’t You See” admitting that she hasn’t been herself while “ID700” pulls out the titular Buchla modular synth for one of my favorite tracks here largely in part of the psychedelic vibes. “Me & You” samples “Mother, I Will Reveal” by Amai Ndinlule for a passable deep tech & stutter house lead single but once “Equinoctial” layers some textual Japanese vocals performed by Ichiko Aoba over an ambient instrumental, “Mercury” enlists guitarist Kanako Yamamoto for a guzheng outro ending the album the way it began.

Closing the book on the traditional sense of what a Bonobo full-length is, this new era of mini-projects including extended plays going forward kicks off with a varied collection of material that’s mostly average compared to his other stuff. I can commend the electronic, downtempo, future garage, deep tech, deep house, new age, chamber folk, progressive house, trip hop, UK garage, progressive breaks, 2-step, stutter house, ambient & techno production searching for pieces of intimacy in something transcendentally vast even if Distance in Static feels equally safe as it’s predecessors for over a decade.

Score: 3/5

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