Syd – “Beard” review

Syd is a 34 year old singer/songwriter, DJ & producer from Los Angeles, California known for being one of the now defunct Odd Future collective’s earliest members alongside her younger brother Taco. She would also front the alternative R&B band The Internet, who would go on to drop 4 studio LPs. I should also mention the Raunchboots solo mixtape back in 2011 along with her 2017 full-length debut Fin under Columbia Records & the accompanying Always Never Home extended play. Her sophomore effort Broken Hearts Club arrived in 2023 & had hopes of her Warner Records debut albeit 3rd LP artistically elevating herself beyond her previous material.

“Walls” starts us off with a settle R&B intro singing for her lover to come over to her place whereas “Callin’” featuring Blu June finds the pair using 911 for a metaphor detailing how much these 2 lovers need each other. The self-produced “Jasmin 17” embraces a groovier vibe instrumentally singing about this woman’s physique being therapeutic to her just before the bossa nova-inspired “My Love” gives a fuck less if anyone thinks she’s crazy for proving her love to this person.

Jordan Ward appears on “Always Be Mine” depicting a couple who doesn’t want to leave each other’s sides leading into “Closet” featuring CUBE wrapping up the 1st leg having Raphael Saadiq play bass singing about feeling the complete opposite of usually desiring for their own space. “Bad Guys” co-produced by Benny Cassette kicks off the 2nd half reminding us all that every villain was once goodhearted at some point while “G.M.F.U. (Got Me Fucked Up)” featuring Big Sean on the remix talks about being misperceived.

“Do Better” finds Syd refusing to go in circles again telling this woman she’s crazy for that she needs to make some improvements after the love she had for her became a weapon while “Any Time” featuring James Fauntleroy neo-psychedelically sings about always losing when running from the individuals addressed. “Water” assures the female partner she adores that she wouldn’t have if she found someone else & “2 Many Days” sings about working too hard to not make any money.

Nearly everything Syd has released on her own up until this point has left listeners torn, but I adamantly believe Beard sticks out in a league of it’s own compared to her early output although I wouldn’t put it above Steve Lacy’s new album Oh Yeah? that dropped earlier today. The largely self-handled production distills the contemporary/alternative R&B influences of her earlier output, coming into her own mixing them with some smooth & trap soul undertones.

Score: 3.5/5

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Steve Lacy – “Oh Yeah?” review

Steve Lacy is a 28 year old singer/songwriter, guitarist & producer from Compton, California known for being the guitarist of the now defunct Odd Future collective’s The Internet. Following a demo extended play in 2017, he would make his full-length studio debut in the spring of 2019 with Apollo XXI & his sophomore effort albeit major label debut Gemini Rights under RCA Records marked a huge artistic evolution compared to his early solo output to there point where his 3rd studio LP has become the most anticipated of his career.

The self-produced title track has a bit of a repetitive approach to the songwriting singing about being let out for the evening since he’s too young for death whereas “Is It Cool?” featuring SZA co-produced by his OF/Internet brethren Matt Martians blends alternative R&B, neo-soul, downtempo & neo-psychedelia to admit that the pair don’t even trust themselves. “The Feeling” incorporates secondary influences of psychedelic soul, bedroom pop & sophisti-pop asking why this person tested his patience.

Erykah Badu herself appears on “Pure Colour” teaming up to sing about 2 partners who desire to let them take control of one another so they can feel lighter while “Show You Me” reaches the midway point of the album with some cheery acoustics expressing the love he has for a bad boy. “Doom” continues from there with a nihilistically grungy 2-parter observing that people value validation instead of genuine connections while “nothing” sings about the inability of getting someone off his mind.

“LoveSexDrugBomb” winds down the last few moments of Oh Yeah? including a writing credit from Tyler, The Creator warmly yearning to have his partner right beside him while “Nice Shoes / In Your World” splits itself into 2 separate halves, climatically spiraling downwards for the sole purpose of him keeping to wish this body of work bestowed upon us. The alt-rock closing track “Bebe” sends it all off recalling the time I got my life screwed up.

Watching him blow up since Gemini Rights has been a long time coming for Steve Lacy as someone who’s been paying attention to him for almost a decade & Oh Yeah? contradicts the expansiveness of his idea. His production continues to push boundaries exploring neo-psychedelia, bedroom pop, indie folk, indie rock, alt-pop, singer/songwriter, alternative R&B, neo-soul, downtempo, psychedelic soul, sophisti-pop, alternative rock & grunge to tackle his usual themes of lust & longing from every angle he can possibly find.

Score: 4.5/5

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Matt Martians – “Matt’s Missing” review

Matt Martians is a 35 year old producer, illustrator & singer/songwriter from Atlanta, Georgia notable for being a founding member of the now defunct Odd Future collective as well as 1/2 of the production duo The Jet Age of Tomorrow with Pyramid Vritra & the co-founder of The Internet alongside Syd. He also made up 1/3 of The Super D3Shay with Ace Hashimoto on the mic & The Jet Age of Tomorrow behind the boards alongside 1/2 of the MC/producer duo Sweaty Martians with Earl Sweatshirt. Also for almost 7 years, Matt’s been building a solo career for himself beginning with the full-length debut The Drum Chord Theory followed by the sophomore effort The Last Party & not 1 but 3 EPs in 2021. However ahead of The Internet’s upcoming 5th album, Matt’s returning after a few years for a 4th EP.

To start us off, “B Like That” sings over a funky beat for this chick that caught his eye in to get at him & that he’ll see her soon whereas “Rushback” takes a trippier route instrumentally talking about feeling her from across the room. “Perfect Warning” gives off a groovier vibe admitting that he & his significant other could grow old together hoping she feels the same way leading into the soley self-produced “Play” taking the mellower route asking if he can mess around.

“The Reason” despite it’s chilled out atmosphere plays with the idea of stalking a romantic interest that Matt will have love for just before “Bassline” picks things back up with a slick ballad about having to get it running coming with exactly that. “Best Girl” has a summery, funky start to the beat with a switch-up during the 2nd half telling her he wouldn’t know what to do if she left his side while the catchy “Don’t Think About It” talks about wanting her to stay.

“Adjust” starts the encore of the EP by admitting that he’s been having to adapt as of late & this woman being all up in his head until “Sick n’ Tired” rounds out Matt’s Missing by experimenting with funk rock making it clear that he’s at the point now where he’s simply fed up with the lies, the hate, everybody telling him what to do & being down altogether.

Drum Chord Theory has to be my favorite solo LP out of the 2 that Matt has given us thus far but when it comes to his EPs, Matt’s Missing might be my favorite since Going Normal & that includes the 4-track deluxe. He expands his the neo-psychedelic soul sounds of his solo material generally beyond neo-psychedelia altogether, hypnagogic pop, abstract hip hop & funk music.

Score: 3.5/5

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The Internet – “Hive Mind” review

It’s been 3 years since their magnum opus Ego Death & with 4 of it’s 5 members making their solo debuts within the past year, Odd Future subgroup The Internet is returning with their 4th full-length album.

Things begin with “Come Together”, where multiple band members beautifully sing in unison & the instrumental takes me back to Jamiroquai’s first 2 albums Emergency on Planet Earth & The Return of the Space Cowboy. The next song “Roll (Burbank Funk)” is taken over by guitarist Steve Lacy & it talks about listening to your heart over a psychedelic instrumental while the track “Come Over” sees Syd singing to this girl she loves over a funky instrumental. The song “La Di Da” sings about dancing with the instrumental suiting the content perfectly while the track “Stay the Night” is a laidback ballad about Syd not wanting this girl she’s with to go home for the evening. The song “Bravo” sees Syd singing to an ex over some prominent drums while the track “Mood” tells the story about a date over some pounding drums & some synth chords.

The song “Next Time / Humble Pie” talks about a woman she’ll never see again over a Neptunes inspired instrumental that’s pretty cool, but then it transitions into the second half pretty well about needing a real love over a more spacey beat. The track “It Gets Better (With Time)” sees Syd telling this woman just that over some dreamy synthesizers while the song “Look What U Started” tells this ex that she’s gonna pay over a funky instrumental. The song “Wanna Be” is a mellow guitar ballad asking this woman to become her girlfriend while the penultimate track “Beat Goes On” sees Matt Martians singing about moving forward & I like how the instrumental transitions from being funky to going into a more high-tempo drum & bass direction. The album then finishes with “Hold On”, where Syd singing to her girl about their love for each other over a dreamy yet settle beat.

I’ve been waiting on this for quite some time after the wait, it definitely lives up to my expectations. Not only is it almost as well written & vibrantly produced as the last album was, but you can just tell that everyone sounds happy to be back.

Score: 4/5