GutterPutter

Chill, chill, chill. Just way too chill is the best description to sum up Mac Demarco’s latest release. While he has risen up to fame for his slacker psych-pop and his quirky sense of humour, Five Easy Hot Dogs opt to go all in on laxed instrumentation with nothing else to add a sense of texture. As a result, we have ourselves what is mostly background music. You can do your chores with a couple of tracks from here being played, but I doubt that there’s anything that will spring up to you as a gem before you’ve completed everything. 1.7/5

Artsy electro-pop maestro Caroline Polachek hits hard in her third album with an incredible array of beats and production to sing around, just about enough diversity to give each track its own character without detracting from the core artistry, and infectiously catchy choruses to rally around. One minute, you’re listening to what feels like a throwback to a 2000s club classic, another minute is a gem in trip hop. In many ways, it’s a master class in pop music, don’t let the genre fool you from turning this down. 4.4/5

At least the title did tell us what to expect. It’s legitimately hip hop melodrama so clogged up in cheese that lactose intolerance may not save you from what might come up. The title track, in all its childish kitschiness, sums up the drudgery that makes up Don’t Get Too Close. 0.2/5

Compared to its twin album, this record sees Skrillex play more to his breakout style of brostep and EDM. While I personally do not like what I find to be a rather formulaic structure, it’s such a go-to model in its genre that to penalise them for the process would just come off as petty. Otherwise, the mixture of nice featured artists, creative sampling, and tight drum loop leaves a nice series of bangers to add in for the dancefloor. 3.2/5

An instrumental album that’s filled with varying time signatures and a very jazzy sense of improvisational experimentation, it might wow you for the first few tracks. However, its overemphasis on technicality and otherworldliness leaves little room for emotional resonation to set in. In turn, this leaves little to no room for the album to find its footing. It might impress, but it doesn’t stick around in your head for long. 2/5

The acclaimed couple-led indie band from New Jersey drops their latest album with a stronger emphasis on the atmospheric side of post-rock. You can still make out the dissonance that makes up noise pop, the ethereality which goes back to dream pop, all the little experimentations the band had already tried is present in this album. Unfortunately, it doesn’t impress me as much as what I would’ve liked with its lack of ear-catching solos or lyrical quotations that are worth every ounce of your attention. What it does prove ultimately is that while some bands may release an LP to show that they’ve still got it after all these years of struggles, Yo La Tengo always have it in them since the mid 1980s. 3.4/5

One of the biggest rock bands in the late 2000s to early 2010s emerged once more into the mainstream with a throwback to the post-punk revival period. Hayley Williams is at her most charismatic in her singing, the bassline grooves with its utmost charm, the guitars and drum offers a nice crunch in the rhythm without any swindle. This album might not be the most original nor is it a technical masterpiece. However, the blueprint for what makes Paramore Paramore is there; it’s just layered in a different artistry. 4/5

It’s primal, it’s repetitive, it’s surprisingly heartfelt once you look past all the tribal aesthetics and sounds. The collaborative effort between the two Japanese bands have left something of a strange experience to wrap your head around. The eclectic array of instruments, the high-pitched vocal singing, the anthemic chants that are uttered every 30 seconds, it’s an alien record for you to wrap your head around. Yet, it’s rubbed off onto me and I feel that its charm, however much of an acquired taste it might be, have won me over. Chances are, if you like Boredoms, you will like this for sure. 3.7/5

At first, it’s a relatively charming bit of guitar work… scrap that it’s a lie. Much of the album consists of samples taken from a good variety of sources which includes those that’s prone to being memed on a frequent basis. This leads to a project that’s very hard to try and decipher as to whether or not it’s worth every ounce of your attention regarding its artistic credibility. It’s not a bad feat, but it’s hard to take it seriously when one of its taken audio tracks is from the iconic ‘Number 15’ meme. Needless to say, I struggle to find myself won over by this album. 2.3/5

The power pop album that’s made in the same kind of punk-like viscerality as the Exploding Hearts, there’s much about it that helps it to stand out from its counterpart in a nuanced way. The relative melody in the guitar riff, the stronger vintage production which harkens back to the mid 60s, it’s got a certain character on its own that makes for your attention. I doubt that it will enter the realm of cult classic a few years from now, but it does set up a prelude for catchy pop punk from the artist. 3.8/5

Glitch pop goes hard. Its sporadic production, futuristic sound palette, and creative production all boils down to an immaculate experience that is hard to replicate even in spite of its short runtime. Already, it feels like the artist has already found their style in their debut and if they feel the need to hone in to create a definite highlight, they will do so. Simply put, check them out if they ever come around. 4.4/5

On a warpath from her series of ambient RnB works, Kelela’s third album sees her continue to dive into atmospheric contemplation of relationships and self-reflection. The airy beats compliment her singing well like an angel, yet there is something about the whole project which feels as if it’s missing. The music makes for a good enough listen. However, the pleasantry isn’t enough for me to try and continue to consider seeing this album as a bona-fide masterpiece. Maybe give it a few more years before I could revisit it again? 3.5/5

Another bit of post-punk flirtation. This time, it’s with a gothic twist from the Irish band. James Mcgovern’s crooning vocals suit the style well with its deliberate bit of guitar screeching and uptight drumming. Underneath the tense, subtly hostile playing lies that of a theme based on love, relationships, and codependency. There are certain takes around this album which sees it as the first great guitar record for this year. I may disagree with it, but its personality makes it hard to resist for many. 4/5

The crossover between two emo-based artists from South Korea and Brazil leads to what amounts to a very noisy, aggressive, and unforgiving instance of screamo. Given that it’s a genre that I rarely find any gems to enjoy, Dreamglow is sadly one of the many that I do not like. The constant guitar distortions and relentless drumming leaves little room to pick out the little details which, in turn, leads to all of the tracks feeling as if they blend together. You might find this to be a worthwhile listen, but I’m content with skipping this out. 1.8/5

A cute compilation from the underground record label, don’t expect this to be a cohesive piece at all. The genres are all over the place from your standard fare of indie rock/pop to emo or even a bit of comedy rap if that’s your kind of preference. There are so many featured artists here that if you were to find a song from any one of them you like, you are more than welcome to check their discography out. Thus, it’s most likely a kind of record where you are encouraged to pick out tracks that best fits your music taste. For me, I find Goth Lipstick’s piece to be one memorable listen. For those who want a smooth audio adventure, skip this. Otherwise, press on with our friend’s house. 3.8/5

Initially made as an EP, the release lasts just under 30 minutes. Suffice to say, the attempts made at shoegaze leaves much to be desired by me. I can’t really say anymore about it. 1.9/5

Despite being lumped pejoratively with many other emcees as a mumble rapper, Lil Yatchy’s latest release takes on a completely different turn. Rather than boast about drugs or complain about girls, Let’s Start Here is a full-on psychedelic experience that’s filled to the brim with spacey reverberations, elaborate vocal alteration, and an ultimately otherworldly feeling. Many rappers have tried to enter different genres only to fall flat on their face. Miles McCollum managed to pull off a rare feat of transitioning to a new sound without losing his key characteristics. If anything, his style works even better! Originality might not be found here, but it’s still a refreshing new direction to behold. 3.9/5