Album Reviews

The Dangerous Summer Self-Titled Album Review

The Dangerous Summer performing at Grimey’s New & Preloved Music (source: Karina Schechter)

Fresh off hiatus, The Dangerous Summer’s comeback has generated a pleasantly surprising amount of hype within the scene.  Their self-titled was released on January 26, 2018 through Hopeless Records, and general response to it has been positive, albeit far from glowing.

Primitive Man Delivers the Most Aptly Titled Album of 2017 with Caustic

(From Primitive Man’s Bandcamp)

Primitive Man is a band that’s always specialized in creating dense, incredibly harsh textures. 2013’s Scorn, the band’s debut full length, is about as sonically oppressive and ugly of an album as you’re likely to find in modern metal, and it introduced the heavy music world to Primitive Man’s unique blend of noise, sludge, death metal, and blackened doom. But believe it or not, Primitive Man just came through with an even uglier and more oppressive release with Caustic.

The Front Bottoms Succeed—But Also Fail Miserably—With Going Grey

Going Grey, released October 13th on Fueled by Ramen

I guess I missed the day in class when we learned that “Going Grey” was synonymous with “Selling Out,” but thankfully The Front Bottoms (TFB) caught me up on that lesson with their album release earlier this month.  Gone is the TFB known for their trademark gritty sound, lyrical depth, and endearing awkwardness.  The new era of TFB is under strict dictatorship by their label, Fueled by Ramen, and it definitely shows in their catchy, over-produced pop-punk album, Going Grey.

King Krule Triumphantly Returns with ‘The Ooz’

King Krule’s The Ooz will be released October 13th.

King Krule’s The Ooz starts out modestly with “Biscuit Town,” leaning more towards the jazzy, hip-hoppy, slow-talking side of his elusive persona than the urban stoner aesthetic he embodies on, say, “Bleak Bake” from his 2011 self-titled album. Its quiet and enticing first track is a good palette cleanser for the rest of the album: The Ooz meanders through a staggering hour and six minutes of pleasantly cohesive yet disparate directions, taking us from peaceful piano to ethereal cacophony and back again. It’s, in fewer words, nothing short of beautiful.

BROCKHAMPTON Soars with SATURATION II

Members of Brockhampton (Photo by Ashlan Grey)

BROCKHAMPTON returned with a bang on their third release, Saturation II, off their own label Question Everything, Inc this past August 25th . The group has a sound as unorthodox as their origin story, the majority of the members having met on a popular Kanye West forum before ever meeting in real life. Coalescing under leader Kevin Abstract and taking up the all-caps moniker BROCKHAMPTON, the group of 15 moved to South Central Los Angeles in 2015 to be the next great American boyband. Following their two previous releases, Saturation II creeps, crawls, and roars its way into your sonic sphere with the youthful energy of a group of 19-23 year old men that have something(s) to say.

The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Listen to ‘Always Foreign’ on Repeat for the Next Month

From Epitaph Records

The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die (TWIABP) has been a powerful presence in the ’emo’ community since the release of their debut full-length album Whenever, If Ever (2013).  Last week, the band released their third album, Always Foreign, a phenomenally composed album overflowing with cynicism, chaos, and an unadulterated sense of vulnerability.  

Knox Fortune Offers Us a Mildly Pleasant Paradise

Kevin Rhomberg, the Grammy winning singer/songwriter/producer known as Knox Fortune. Photo courtesy of Bryan Allen Lamb.

In the midst of chaos, Knox Fortune offers us a refuge in Paradise with his debut album. The Chicago singer/songwriter/producer is perhaps best well known for his hook on Chance the Rapper’s “All Night,” but on Paradise, he shows he can stand alone in authentic style, production and lyrics.

Moses Sumney’s Aromanticism Leaves Little Room For Longing

Image result for aromanticism moses sumney
(Courtesy of the artist’s Bandcamp page)

Moses Sumney’s debut full-length Aromanticism, released Sept 22nd on Jagjagwar, is a shimmery showcase of Sumney’s smooth-as-butter voice that marks an artistic departure from his 2016 EP Lamentations. While the EP revolves around layers of Sumney’s vocals and guitar, his latest release incorporates a much wider color palate, replete with beautiful orchestration and swirling synths. There’s a higher production value, which in turn sacrifices some of the intimacy of his earlier releases which made his music so powerful.