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Mono – Pilgrimage of the Soul (17 September 2021)

One of Japan’s most legendary post-rock band are back recently with their LP & while the performance carries on a sense of epic grandeur, the cliches can come off as being too explicit. Detractors of post-rock tend to describe the genre as being a ‘crescendo-core’, focusing the experimental, textures-driven genre on what amounts to being a variation of Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s typical style. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, but the need to continue to build up on the sound throughout each track does end up coming off as lacking the certain excitement & spirit that makes Mono’s classic records a standout in the genre. To put it simply, think thundering drums & sharp guitar notes. If they’re the main selling point, then it’s one that’s been executed well to a tee. Aside from that, that’s all there is to say about it sans the usual composition. 3/5

Silk Sonic – An Evening with the Silk Sonic (12 November 2021)

Supergroups tend to work better in theory than in practice as it’s the chemistry that counts rather than the talent. A crossover between mainstream superstar Bruno Mars & rapping/R&B darling Anderson .Paak? How bad could they be? The production’s shiny & slick to the bone, the singing is nigh-immaculate, the tracks is as seductive & fun as they go with the women, the kinesis vibrates in every second of the 31-minute album. The souls influence from the glory days of Motown is at its peak here & while one would often dismiss it as being a facade at worst, this album feels like an ode to the brilliance that can be found there. ‘Smokin Out The Window’ & ‘Leave the Door Open’ are my go-to picks for the most thoughtfully crafted mindless love songs while ‘777’ is among the most celebratory comment on decadence. Not much to be a contrarian about here. 4.6/5

Imagine Dragons – Mercury – Act 1(3 September 2021)

Oh, how far the potential hath fallen! What would’ve been one of pop music’s most fascinating voices of the 2010s had embrace what makes pop come off as kitschy to its very core over nearly all of its projects. Dan Reynold’s impassioned singing is about as close to a constant plus throughout the album as I can give & as a bit of a guilty pleasure, it’s one that makes me feel tempted to revisit the dumpster fire. However, if the rest of the gems is shattered & scattered throughout the record… or so I wish to say wherever I think of Mercury. The biggest highlight, to put it sympathetically, is on the extravagant opening which takes notes from the piano ballads. The rest feels like one big relapse on electronic single formula for cash printing’s sake over a glimmer of unique poptimism from fun. or the Postal Service. If only they could explore the accessible industrial pop further on… 1.7/5

Kanye West – Donda (29 August 2021)

A string of unfortunate happenings & a drive to connect more with his Christian beliefs would drive Kanye to make this album. Despite being named after his mother, the record feels… wonky on all angles to say the least. A series of interesting guest verses, some being driven for the wrong reason while others have the half-life of an oxygen from their presence alone, are filled to the brim with controversies not so much around the content than with the context. I won’t comment too much on it, but I can attest to how the album can go all over the place from the lack of references to Kanye’s mother to the usually vast beats that West is all too talented in working on.

The gospel references can clash with the demonstration of pride, the energy of the rapping & the singing can collide with the random, even questionable, lyrical content, it’s as bizarre as Kanye himself. However, when all the pieces of the puzzle finally line up for once, you can see why Kanye West is considered by many as being one of hip hop’s most important artists of all time. ‘Jesus Lord, Pt. 2’ is particularly close to being unforgettable as a cumulation of all his religious searching. 3/5

Ka – A Martyr’s Reward (13 August 2021)

A mythic MC in the underground scene continues to push forth his potent bars & his biblical sense of social consciousness in A Martyr’s Reward. It carries on the usual characteristics that enables him to develop a loyal fandom with the sparse rock & keyboard samples & even sparser drum beats. They might not be the most unique in regards to underground rap (as ironically as I might word it) as of late. Nevertheless. the big selling point goes to Ka’s rough-edged poetry which is as solid as some of the best rappers now. Take his flow from ‘We Living/Martyrs’ with a featured verse from Navy Blue where he raps “Truth know deception, show direction like a preposition/ Choose wrong course, you in strong for a set collision”. If his contemplation of metaphysics doesn’t impress you, take his damning commentary on the African-American’s capitalist pursuits to make up for their past in ‘Sad to Say’, his manifesto against the authority in ‘Everybody Up’, or his judicious breakdown on morality & the law in ‘With All My Heart’. Fans of abstract hip hop might find themselves in for a treat with this one. 3.4/5

Courtney Barnett – Things Take Time, Take Time (12 November 2021)

Australia’s most notable indie singer-songwriter have broken through to recognition with her deadpan singing & ever-so-witty lyricism. It’s something that one would’ve dismiss as being a Bob Dylan knock-off at first, but it’s through her exploration of the individual & her literate sort of humour that won over many. There is a kind of disappointment therefore when Things Take Time, Take Time is released. There’s not much sarcasm in her writing, little socio-political jabs, the attempt to present the optimistic side of life doesn’t land as gracefully as she would’ve liked. Granted, a debut as monumental as Sometimes I Sit and Think will always be a hard obstacle to overcome. The problem lies in when your latest LP sounds more boring than bored. Maybe then an evaluation around your artistry might be helpful. 2/5

JPEGMAFIA – LP! (Offline Version) (22 October 2021)

Simply put, Peggy never lets down his erratic aggression & wacky production in his latest release. It’s all over the place in the best way possible with samples that you never thought would fit like a jigsaw piece, an insane take on the trap formula, a kaleidoscope of influence from cloud rap to R&B, & a signature kick of glitch hop. Andre 3000 once excuses his lack of portfolio of solo outputs by saying that rap is a young man’s game, yet a late bloomer like JPEGMAFIA suggests otherwise that it’s never too late to go wild over your hip hop direction in your 30s. ‘Hapzard Duty Pay!’ is especially one of his magnum opuses for his twist on Anita Baker & the Winan’s ‘Ain’t No Need to Worry’ into one of the most infectious experimentations in rapping. & that’s all when you think you know him well. 4.4/5

They Might Be Giants – BOOK (12 November 2021)

The Johns opt to expand on their prolific discography with a usual nerdy twist on indie pop that makes them memorable since the 1980s. If you are thinking of listening to BOOK in hopes that it’ll be a comeback record to the golden days of Lincoln or Flood, I might have to put in a discretion that it may not be the most abundant with catchy classics nor is it the most vibrant with references, if at all admittedly. The rest of the time, it’s just a fun, quirky record made by two veterans who might now start to feel their age a little, but that shouldn’t deter them from enjoying the ride with whatever they have now. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to join in for the power pop ride. 3.4/5

First of October – Gotta Record Everything Good (26 October 2021)

A YouTube band made up of Andrew Huang & Rob Scallon have released their third record with the usual challenge of having to make a full LP in only a day. Don’t expect something immaculate out of it, but the record is fun if I can throw in a positive around it. Fun is the motto of the whole record & if you wanted something that’s more than fun, then you might find the 1-day challenge to be too much of a gimmick. You can identify a homage from System of a Down & Rage Against The Machine, but the execution feels like such fan service doesn’t work well with comedy. It might have more to do with how comedy isn’t my most favoured genre in general, but I can’t help but wonder the considerable highs that the two can reach if they were to extend their ridiculously short deadline. I would also like to throw in a disclaimer that ‘Greg!’ is legitimately annoying in its theme & once you reach the track, skip it to spare yourself the disgruntlement. 2/5

Amyl and The Sniffers – Comfort to Me (10 September 2021)

This LP is actually pretty decent if not as much a masterpiece in Australian pub punk to me as to others. You can vibe with the untamed singing of Amy Taylor & the instrumental performance is as much a DIY sort of affair as you would expect in any other punk band. It’s better to have a tried-&-true idea be executed well than to have a revolutionary idea be executed bad, yet the drive to play it safe can start to wobble when you have a passionate love song as excellent as ‘Maggot’ or ‘Don’t Need a C*nt (Like You to Love Me)’. Short to a tee, yet riveting with energy, Comfort to Me makes up their typical tropes with their utmost fervour & a handful of vulgarly great concepts in their highlights. 3.3/5

feeble little horse – Hayday (22 October 2021)

For a debut LP from a band that attempts to reach their audience through Reddit’s r/indieheads, there’s a lot about it that is well worth the praise. The mix of noise pop with the haziness of shoegaze & lo-fi production makes for a consistently ghastly listen in its post-punk direction. Abstract lyrics like “My face is featureless” might not be the most meaningful line in the world & its tracks can come off as being way too short for comfort, but picks like ‘Chores’ could’ve been a breakout hit in another timeline with its distorted, crunchy guitar & a lovable, cheesy rhyme in the chorus. Check them out if you want to keep an eye out for a new band that knows their skill well without a Promethean reach. 3.3/5