The Last Dinner Party – “From the Pyre” review

The Last Dinner Party is an indie rock band from London, England, United Kingdom consisting of multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Aurora Nishevci, bassist Georgia Davies, rhythm guitarist/vocalist L.Mayland, lead guitarist Emily Roberts & frontwoman Abigail Morris. Signing to Island Records a year after their formation, they would make their debut Prelude to Ecstasy at the start of 2024 & are putting out a highly anticipated sophomore effort to further establish themselves in the windmill scene.

“Agnus Dei” begins with Abigail & company showing a bit of a Sir Chloe influence asking if one’s name in lights forever would be better than a wedding ring whereas “Count the Ways” taking inspiration from Arctic Monkeys describes a bitterness growing between 2 people to the point getting payback. The final single “2nd Best”combines indie rock, glam rock & post-punk revival to sing about escaping a relationship where you’ll be betrayed again while the lead single “This is the Killer Speaking” swaps out the post-punk revival elements in favor of pop rock progressive pop & baroque pop for a homage to “Chantilly Lace” by the late Jerry Lee Lewis

Reaching the halfway point of From the Pyre, we have L.Mayland handling the lead vocals on “Rifle” including a crushing bridge performed in French towards the backend of it singing about the ongoing Gaza genocide & the idea of how a mother would feel if her child would go on to become a war criminal leading into the common metaphor of “Woman is a Tree” feeling like it could be included in the upcoming 4th & final season of the Paramount Skydance Corporation owned Showtime thriller drama series Yellowjackets next year.

“I Hold Your Anger” with Aurora Nishevci performing lead vocals & conceptually calling back to “The Feminine Urge” off the band’s debut reminds me of Florence + the Machine, increasing my anticipation for Everybody Scream this Halloween while “Sail Away” serves as a sequel to “On Your Side” referencing the 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン theme song 残酷な天使のテーゼ by 高橋洋子. The 2nd single “The Scythe” fuses pop rock, indie rock, chamber pop, progressive pop, baroque pop & jangle pop suggesting that death comes for us all no matter what & having no fear of what’s on the other side with an insane guitar solo prior to the outro until the closer “Inferno” reminiscent of MARINA’s classic debut album The Family Jewels sings about where Abigail is personally in this moment.

A bit more character-driven & darker than Prelude to Ecstasy was, The Last Dinner Party still maintains the deeply personal approach to their songwriting that made their introductory full-length so well received throughout From the Pyre quickly establishing themselves as a dominant force in the windmill scene surely continuing to join the ranks of Black Country, New Road & the now disbanded black midi. The pop rock, glam rock, indie rock, baroque pop & progressive pop styles explored 20 months ago are being completely refined with the band being more serious & aware of the state of the world today.

Score: 4/5

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13° – “Black Fridayz” review

Chicago, Illinois rapper 13° making his full-length studio debut. Starting out a couple years ago off his first couple mixtapes Urban Junkie & Metropolitan respectively, he would go on to follow both of those up with Uptown Dropout as well as Clique City & it’s sequel. His debut EP Cyber Sundayz a little over a couple months ago caught the attention of Island Records, who recently signed the Chi-Town up-&-comer to make a wider exposure on Black Fridayz.

“Intercontinental” was a boisterous trap intro advising that anyone who doesn’t give a fuck about up should from hereon out whereas “Rooftopz” hooks up some synthesizers to talk about the love this woman is giving him makes him feel right at home. The title track lets everyone in on exactly how chaotic his mind can be just before “Fake Killa” talks about nobody saving him if he goes the wrong way.

Pop rap, trap & future bass all collide during the single “Champain” feeling like a king when he steps in the room while “Lil Mama” encourages the apple of his eye to put on the dress he got her & get geeked. “Chiraq Child” featuring lil2posh finds the pair coming together to talk about growing up in the Windy City leading into the standout “Palace” produced by BNYX of Working on Dying flexing his current status.

“Spike Snapback” starts the final leg of Black Fridayz by keeping a firm grip on the gas pedal while “I’m Turnt” psychedelically talks about his life being lit these days. “Exotic Strippaz” throws it back to the Clique City era while “Ghetto Hipster” talks about being fashionable & hood at the same time. The closer “Drive Safe” finishes 13’s debut pleading to stop telling him to be patient when he’s losing patience.

Allegedly his final hip hop project, it’s hard for me to say what’s next for 13° but what I can tell you is that Black Fridayz maintains the trap/pop rap fusions that made Clique City 2 so special & turns it up to 11 now that he’s got Island Records supporting him. The production feels modern & nostalgic at the same time, taking up the half hour of his major label debut to reach a wider crowd using distinctive flows.

Score: 3.5/5

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Sabrina Carpenter – “Man’s Best Friend” review

Quakertown, Pennsylvania singer/songwriter & actress Sabrina Carpenter releasing her 7th studio LP. The niece of Nancy Cartwright also known as the voice of Bart on the Fox Corporation’s flagship property’s longest running animated series The Simpsons, she herself began by starring in the Boy Meets World spinoff Girl Meets World alongside Milo Murphy’s Law on The Walt Disney Company owned Disney Channel. She later signed to Hollywood Records for her first 4 full-lengths Eyes Wide Open, EVOLution, Singular & Singular II until moving over to Island Records for Emails I Can’t Send. Her previous album Short n’ Sweet solidified herself as a modern pop superstar & Man’s Best Friend has now arrived following tributes from by the current NXT Women’s North American Champion Sol Ruca, the current WWE Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio alongside former 2-time WWE women’s world champion Liv Morgan, former AEW Women’s World Champion Blake Monroe, former 3-time WWE women’s world champion & former TNA Knockouts World Champion Naomi, former 2-time NXT Tag Team Champion Kit Wilson and of course the current WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton.

Pop rock, synthpop, urban cowboy & soft rock all blend together for the self-produced lead single “Manchild” with co-production from Jack Antonoff singing about immature men whereas “Tears” finds herself becoming addicted to her new lover’s maturity over a dance-pop/nu-disco instrumental reminiscent of her smash hit “Espresso”. “My Man on Willpower” sings about a male who has too much self control & not understanding it returning to a pop rock sound leading into “Sugar Talking” making it clear that she isn’t have the sweet chit chat.

“We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night” embraces a heavy country pop vibe to sing about living in a continuous circle of becoming on the verge of ending her current relationship only for all to be forgiven in the morning leading into “Nobody’s Son” singing to the parents of a corrupt man asking them if they could raise him to love her. “Never Getting Laid” divides itself into 2 different halves hoping this fuckboy becomes agoraphobic while “When Did You Get Hot?” becomes astonished by seeing a former acquaintance undergoing a significant makeover.

The country pop influences make a return on “Go Go Juice” sings about getting drunk only to make a bunch of phone calls assuring that nobody’s safe while “Don’t Worry I’ll Make You Worry” sings about making this individual worry more than other woman ever has. “House Tour” compares her home on Pretty Girl Avenue to Disneyland in the sense that it’s where all dreams come true & once “Goodbye” properly wraps things up by explaining that the meaning of the word to her is losing her for life, “Such a Funny Way” feels like an epilogue deluded by someone telling her he loves her when he clearly didn’t.

Before I get to my concluding thoughts on Man’s Best Friend, I want to say that the controversy that surrounded its tame artwork was soft to me when the PARTYNEXTDOOR 4 cover art already exists. Regarding the music itself: Sabrina Carpenter’s thematically more promiscuous than Short n’ Sweet was experimenting with country pop, dance-pop, pop rock, soft rock & urban cowboy heavier winding up with mixed results containing more highs than lows.

Score: 3/5

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Sabrina Carpenter – “Short n’ Sweet” review

Sabrina Carpenter is a 25 year old singer/songwriter & actress from Quakertown, Pennsylvania notable for being the niece of Nancy Cartwright also known as the voice of Bart on the Fox Corporation’s flagship property’s longest running animated series The Simpsons & starring in the Boy Meets World spinoff Girl Meets World alongside Milo Murphy’s Law on The Walt Disney Company owned Disney Channel. She later signed to Hollywood Records for her first 4 studio LPs Eyes Wide Open, EVOLution, Singular & Singular II until moving over to Island Records for Emails I Can’t Send. She has since become one of the most popular artists in the world & capitalizing off some recent hit singles with her 6th album.

“Taste” was a great pop rock single further pulling from new wave, jangle pop & power pop singing about revenge & betrayal whereas “Please Please Please” featuring Dolly Parton on the remix & produced by Jack Antonoff brings together soft rock, yachty rock, urban cowboy, boogie & synthpop addressing themes of affection, frustration & concern. “Good Graces” fuses dance-pop & trap asserting the importance of setting boundaries in a relationship just before “Coincidence” pays homage to “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell continuing the concept of romantic betrayal.

Elements of contemporary R&B, pop, sophisti-pop, synthpop, boogie & yacht rock seep their way over to “Bed Chem” addressing Barry Keoghan while the smash-hit “Espresso” likens herself to the coffee as her partner can’t sleep when he’s with her fusing nu-disco, dance-pop, boogie & funktronica music. “Dumb & Poetic” reminisces on what her ex lover used to be until ultimately realising he’ll ruin her heart & her life through lies, but then “Slim Pickins” sings about trying to find the right man although unsuccessfully.

“Juno” named after the 2007 film goes over her desire to be pregnant by someone who truly cares about her & her future concept of having a family while “Lie to Girls” sings that men don’t have to deceive women due to the fact that if they like a man, they’ll simply lie to themselves & asking if she knows it better than anyone else. “Don’t Smile” ends Sabrina’s finest work yet mixing bitterness while longing calling back to the intro during the hook while “Needless to Say” starts the deluxe run attacking the lowlifes criticizing her urging them to do something better with their time & lives.

There’s a bit of an AꓭBA influence on “Busy Woman” detailing her willingness to make a change in her everyday-life in order for her new romantic partner to be with her while “15 Minutes” sings about doing a lot on that short amount of time reflecting on how she finds herself at this point in her career with her increasing popularity. “Couldn’t Make It Any Harder” tells an ex that his actions have been making her more detached from him & the final bonus track “Bad Reviews” rounds it out with a commentary on those who don’t like her music & a couple bad gut feelings regarding previous lovers.

Continuing the creative freedom of Emails I Can’t Send, Sabrina’s artistic potential from her debut single “Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying” to Short n’ Sweet is truly a night & day comparison. She explores her love life & her perspectives on dating in the 2020s nearly at the halfway point of the current decade through the sounds of pop, dance-pop, contemporary R&B, pop rock, folk, nu-disco, bubblegum pop, sophisti-pop, synthpop, boogie, yacht rock, funktronica, urban cowboy & trap.

Score: 3.5/5

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Coi Leray – “Lemon Cars” review

New Jersey rapper & singer Coi Leray teaming with Mike WiLL Made-It for her 5th EP & Island Records debut. Growing up as the younger brother of Sosshouse Records signee Chavo & the daughter of Benzino, she began to carve a path of her own with her debut mixtape Everythingcoz along with her first 2 EPs Everythingcoz 2 & Now or Never even though they were mediocre to me personally. She then signed to Uptown Records last spring after being relaunched by Republic Records & put out her major label debut Trendsetter not too long after which had a few of her strongest tracks yet, but the bad mostly outweighed the good & the same applied to Coi considering “Self Love” off the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse soundtrack could be my favorite song of hers yet. Lemon Cars on the other hand was destined to wipe both her LPs in terms of quality after announcing Mike WiLL’s heavy involvement.

The title track starts with a full fledged synthwave beat & Coi fucking around showing you what’s in store whereas “Can’t Come Back” is a futuristic pop rap jam talking about kicking her ex to the curb. “We Time” has an atmospheric trap flare to it expressing her need to spend more time with her new man while “Wanna Come Thru” goes into a bit of a psychedelic direction telling a guy who thinks he’s a psychic to put his pride to the side. “Coke Bottle Body” featuring Skilla Baby works in organs & hi-hats for a dedication to the slim baddies, but then “Poster Girl” kinda has this trippy rock edge to it talking about being the one her mans sees in his dreams

Coi most certainly has talent as proven by “Self Love” or her feature on Busta Rhymes’ latest album Blockbusta even though it was step down from E.L.E. 2 (Extinction Level Event 2): The Wrath of God, but she really took me by surprise here much like the new Sexyy Red tape In Sexyy We Trust did earlier on in the weekend. Mike WiLL Made-It’s production is exactly what she needed since the overabundance of samples on Coi or the tackiness of Trendsetter’s & her performances are notably better too.

Score: 4/5

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M.I.A. – “MATA” review

M.I.A. is a 47 year old rapper, singer, producer & activist from London, England, United Kingdom who came up in 2005 off her full-length debut Arular that XL Recordings & Interscope Records jointly put out. Her popularity would begin to increase following the sophomore effort Kala & was even granted her own vanity label N.E.E.T. Recordings by the time ΛΛ Λ Y Λ became her most-left field body of work to date inspiring future acts like Death Grips & PC Music. She eventually fulfilled her Interscope contract by dropping Matangi & AIM but after 6 long years, she’s returning by having Island Records back her 6th full-length album over here.

After the “Freedom is a State of Mind” intro, the actual “Freedom is a State of Mind” song itself that kicks the album off with a tribal EDM banger asking what’re you gonna do with her freedom while “100% Sustainable” serves more as a Tamil folk music interlude. “Beep” though dives into moombahton territory thanks to Skrillex & Rick Rubin talking about being who you want leading into the warm yet empowering “Energy Freq” encouraging to feel the synergy.

“The One” continues on with M.I.A. over some cloudy trap production provided by T-Minus talking about sticking to who you are just before “Zoo Girl” hops on top of some bongos & woodwinds declaring herself as such. “Time Traveller” has more rubbery quality to the beat laced by Pharrell advising not to slip on no matter what you hit on, but then “Popular” returns to the moombahton sound with the help of longtime collaborator Diplo sarcastically detailing how hard it is to maintain popularity.

Meanwhile on “Puththi”, we have MIA spitting in Tamil for nearly 3 minutes with an entrancing instrumental while the song “K.T.P. (Keep the Peace)” has a more peppier groove to it warning not to con her a certain way. The penultimate track “MATA Life” has a more spiritual flare to it sonically talking about going all in with “Marigold” ending the album with an airy ballad declaring that we need miracle.

Compared to how mid AIM was, that’s absolutely not the case with MATA here. In fact, I’d say that it’s the best thing she’s done in nearly a decade. It’s cool to see her recharged on the mic as her ego & spirituality clash accompanied by production that expands on the moombahton sounds of her last 2 albums by fusing it with the likes of Tamil folk & funk ostentação.

Score: 3.5/5

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Iggy Azalea – “S.t.S. (Survive the Summer)” review

Iggy Azalea is a 28 year old rapper from Sydney, Australia who came up as a T.I. protege earlier this decade. She then signed to Def Jam Recordings in 2013 & dropped her debut album The New Classic the following year, which would go platinum. She’s been VERY quiet since then, but now she’s returning with her 2nd EP.

The title track kicks things off as Iggy gets confrontational over a piano & bass heavy instrumental that’s actually not bad while the next song “Tokyo Snow Trip” speaks on a coke addicted woman, the beat is boring as Hell & Iggy completely bites the Ying Yang Twins’ delivery from their classic club banger “Wait (The Whisper Song)”. The track “K.R.E.A.M. (Kash Rules Everything Around Me)” with Tyga is more of a bastardization of the iconic Wu-Tang Clan song “C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me)” than it is a contest to see which of the 2 rappers attempting to stay relevant over a hyphy/trap fused instrumental.

“Hey Iggy” is an egotistical brag about how hot she is over a bass-heavy trap instrumental with some dreamy synths while the track “Kawasaki” is a hilariously corny sex tune over an generically eerie trap beat. The nightmare finally ends with “OMG”, where Iggy & Wiz Khalifa brag about their wealth over a woodwind-infused trap beat.

As I completely expected, this is awful. It’s a really pitiful attempt at trying to stay relevant with it’s mostly generic production & the self-absorbed lyrical content

Score: 0.5/5