Neutral Milk Hotel: In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (1998) (Folk,Rock)

A hallmark in indie folk music that remains daunting and sonically exhilarating. With enough complexity and esoteric lyrics to remain compelling after multiple listens, even if Magnum's voice is whiny and hard to listen to at times, the emotion and absurdity of the project strikes home, in one of the immortalized "hipster" albums of recent decades.



Best Tracks: King of Carrot Flowers Pt.1*, King of Carrot Flowers Pts.2 & 3*, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea*, Two-Headed Boy, The Fool, Holland, 1945*, Communist Daughter, Two-Headed Boy Pt.2



Folk Punk/ Indie Rock/ Psychedelic Folk

Nicolas Jaar: Cenizas (2020) (Ambient,Electronic)

Cenizas serves as detached spiritual odes. Never explicitly catchy or attention-grabbing, not immersing the listener but rather creating space to invite the listener to interpret this eerie, smoking work of art in their own introspective manner. Ambient yet the compositions are mostly jazz-inspired.



Best Tracks: Cenizas, Agosto, Mud, Hello, Chain *


B

Ambient/Avantgarde Jazz/Electronic

Love: Forever Changes (1967) (Folk,Pop,Rock)

It would be easy to say Forever Changes is just one of many feel-good hippie albums of the 60s, but in listening closer, it transcends that moniker. With its enduring, socially potent lyrics, bright, lush instrumentation and excellent songwriting, shifting from melancholy, longing and fervour all in a poetic existential tone, Forever Changes is a timeless well-defined linchpin of 60s era psychedelia. A lighting in the bottle moment, effectively encapsulating it's era in such a cohesive manner to point that it is everlasting. The news of today will be the movies of tomorrow. 

Best Tracks: Alone Again Or*, A House Is Not a Motel*, Andmoreagain*, The Daily Planet*, Old Man, The Red Telephone*, Maybe the People Would Be the Times or Between Clark and Hilldale*, Live and Let Live*, The Good Humor Man He Sees Everything Like This*, Bummer in the Summer, You Set the Scene


S+ Summer Vibes/ Baroque Pop/ Pop Rock/ Psychadelic Folk 

Ahmedou Ahmed Lowla: Terrouzi (2019) (Electronic,Instrumental)

The occasional trap drums can be stale but the Moorish instrumentation can often be worthwhile and some melodies are catchy. The album is, for the most part, mellow and warm, well fit for summer listening.





Best Tracks: Khal Kar, Kar, Lestkal, Niamey*, Mentou*


B


Electronic/ Ethnic Psybient/ Moorish Instrumental


Buy Here

Future: DS2 (2015) (Hip-hop,Trap)

A nicely bottled album that embodies the luxe, hedonism and druggy nature that Future and much of trap music has been known for. For the most part very cohesive, but occasionally a bit redundant.






Best Tracks: Thought It Was a Drought, I Serve the Base, Where Ya At, Groupies, Lil One, Freak Hoe, Blood On the Money


B


Southern Hip-hop/Trap

Lou Reed: Transformer (1972) (Rock)

With typical Lou Reed swagger, Transformer is a poppy glam rock record that still holds onto much of the dirt, hedonism, and instrumental fulfilment of his Velvet Underground days. The songs are simple and sufficient, never too arduous or taxing, yet incredibly catchy and diverse, with a large range of energetic performances, from punk-like to slower more art rock-inspired, with consistent quirk and wit to throw serious listeners off guard. One of the benchmarks in glam-rock, Transformer is a must-listen for pop and rock fans alike. 


Best Tracks: Vicious*, Perfect Day*, Hangin' Round*, Walk On the Wild Side*, Make Up, Satellite of Love*, Wagon Wheel, New York Telephone Conversation, I'm So Free*


S

Art rock/Glam rock/Pop rock

Ka: Descendants Of Cain (2020) (Hip-hop)

Largely the same abstract atmospheric style he is known for, this time with a larger thematic emphasis on Christianity and it's relation to Ka's life in somewhat of a noir biographical style. There are times where the vocals could have been more pronounced (My Brother's Keeper, Eye Of A Needle) and some instrumentals are too attention-grabbing yet lack diversity. The dark and punchy verses remain, in a good abstract hip-hop project.

Best Tracks: Every Now And Then, Unto Dust*, Solitude Of Enoch, Land of Nod, I Love (Mimi, Moms, Kev)

B

Abstract Hip-hop/Christian Rap/Conscious Rap/Experimental Rap


Buy Here

Yung Lean: Stranger (2017) (Hip-hop/R&B)

In a cleaner more polished formula than usual, Lean crafts a cloud rap album filled with a mix of introspective ballads and catchy cuts. Lean's rapping and lyricism is occasionally captivating and in association with the crisp and clear production of Gud, Yung Sherman, and Whitearmor he does effectively write songs that embody a sentiment of melancholy and bliss. Like much of his work, there are moments with underwritten, unstructured songs, marinating in instrumental vapor, but that being said, Stranger may be his most accessible album and also one of his strongest.


Best Tracks: Muddy Sea*, Red Bottom Sky, Skimask, Hunting My Own Skin, Iceman, Agony*, Yellowman

B



Alternative R&B/Ambient Pop/Cloud Rap/Emo Rap

Yung Lean: Starz (2020) (Hip-hop/R&B)

A mixed bag of personal melancholic R&B and cloud rap, packaged in an aesthetic that is a bit rougher than Stranger but still more serious than most of his work. Performances are varied, and instrumentals are typical blissful cloud rap with occasional abrasive witch house. Some good songs but there are also barren songs with not enough focus or structure (Acid at 7/11, Butterfly Paralyzed), leading some songs to feel like filler. Still many blissful and interesting sounds are found like the lo-fi childlike Dogboy or witch house inspired downer banger Boylife in EU.

Best Tracks: Yayo, Boylife in EU*, Violence, Starz, Dogboy, Iceheart

C+

Alternative R&B/Ambient Pop/Cloud Rap/Emo Rap/Witch house

Charli XCX: how i'm feeling now (2020) (Pop)

For better or worse, most of how i'm feeling now sounds like it was made cooped up in forced isolation with little company but her significant other. The beats remain futuristic and glitchy, like her previous album, but this time more evident spots of industrial influence and a more intimate bedroom-pop-like aesthetic are found. Many of the songs read as confessional odes to love and anxiety but often the songs are not fully realized and rather feel like vague snippets of how she's feeling. A few songs may lack in instrumental progression as well (forever, enemy) leading how i'm feeling now to not be the packed pop experience but rather a collection of intimate sketches.

Best Tracks: claws, 7 years, i finally understand, anthems


C



Avant-pop/Bubblegum Bass/Electropop/Glitch-pop

Charli XCX: Charli (2019) (Pop)

A shiny cyborg of an album, half human from the energetic, innocent nature of many songs, half steel and sheen from the futuristic but bright production, drawing heavily from bubblegum bass and dance-pop, much like her previous project, Pop 2, this time with subtler more introspective songs. However, in consequence, many of these do not develop fruitfully (Warm, I Don't Wanna Know, Official). Plenty of excellent production choices, earworm choruses and vocal performances allow for this album to become an intriguing listen for pop fans.

Best Tracks: Next Level Charli, Gone, 1999*, Thoughts, Blame It on Your Love, White Mercedes*, Silver Cross*, February 2017

A-

Avant-pop/Bubblegum Bass/Dance-pop/Electropop

Clipse: Hell Hath No Fury (2006) (Hip-hop)

With a dose of bling era synths and bells, and the consistent involvement of fellow Virginia artist Pharrell, a poppier, more contemporary sheen is provided, allowing for memorable hooks and instrumentals, but not in consequence to the grimy raps and maintenance of the Southern hip-hop aesthetic. Clipse show that they can maintain the hard dark cocaine rhymes of their previous album in a more succinct and poppy and fashion crafting a benchmark album in coke rap.

Best Tracks: We Got It For Cheap (Intro)*, Momma I'm So Sorry*, Mr. Me Too*, Wamp Wamp (What It Do), Hello New World*, Keys Open Doors*, Trill, Chinese New Year, Nightmares

A

Gangsta Rap/ Hardcore Hip-hop/ Pop Rap/ Southern Hip-hop

Travis Scott: ASTROWORLD (2018) (Hip-hop,Trap)

A chaotic jumble of songs much like his previous album, but this time it's more serious, and there is an emphasis on creating multiphased songs with more interesting production choices. Even if the instrumental transitions don't always feel smooth and some songs rely too much on these shifts, , much of the production choices are successful and captivating. I don't feel as though Travis is an especially spectacular lyricist and many times his performances hinge too much on the "vibe" or energy he gives off, but most of the appeal in ASTROWORLD lies in the psychedelic vibe he and the army of producers and guests craft, which range from chill (STOP TRYING TO BE GOD, YOSEMITE) to frenzied (CAROUSEL, NO BYSTANDERS) allowing for a disorganized but occasionally intriguing listen with a range of different performances. Nice Stevie Wonder harmonica solo on STOP TRYING TO BE GOD.

Best Tracks: STARGAZING*, CAROUSEL, SICKO MODE, STOP TRYING TO BE GOD*, NO BYSTANDERS, YOSEMITE, WHO? WHAT!, 

B

Experimental Hip-hop/Pop Rap/Psychadelic Hip-hop/Trap

Steely Dan: Can't Buy a Thrill (1972) (Pop, Rock)

With lush, warm instrumentation, Steely Dan make an easy-going but very satisfying album that reeks of summer fun. The tunes are poppy in composition, very soul-inspired and consistently an easy listen yet instrumentally coloured with bright horns, catchy piano and organ melodies and sharply tuned guitars all recorded very pristinely. The lyrics are quite pristine as well, catchy and seem to paint a refined metropolitan feeling throughout the album. Now it sounds very boomer but excellent at that.

Best Tracks: Do It Again, Dirty Work*, King*, Only A Fool Would Say That*, Reelin' In The Years*, Fire In The Hole, Brooklyn (Owes The Charmer Under Me), Change Of The Guard

A


Jazz-Rock/Pop-Rock/Yacht-Rock

Clipse: Lord Willin' (2002) (Hip-hop)

The debut album from Virginia Beach duo Clipse has them painted as sinister, drug-pushing hustlers of the bling era. The production, handled totally by The Neptunes has flashes of soul and electronic sounds, more organic sounds, horns and synths. Malice and Pusha T cook up clever rhymes but what remains most attractive them are their menacing deliveries. The album does lose its bite as it goes on and some songs could be trimmed off, but an overall, good hip-hop project.

Best Tracks: Intro, Young Boy, Virginia*, Grindin'*, Cot Damn, FamLay Freestyle, When the Last Time, I'm Not You

B


Gangsta Rap/ Hardcore Hip-hop/ Southern Hip-hop

Pusha T: DAYTONA (2018) (Hip-hop)

On this mini-album, Pusha T refines his mafioso rhymes in a brief but very cohesive manner. Executively produced by Kanye West, the beats are all tailored excellently to Pusha's aesthetic, dark and luxurious. Like much of the material in Pusha's catalogue expect cocaine raps but this time in a well formulated ominous tone, expressing the power and destruction of drugs within communities. Pusha's deliveries are consistently fierce and sinister and it is apparent he is paving a lane for his solo career that does not care much for contemporary hip-hop cliches.

Best Tracks: If You Known You Know, The Games We Play, Hard Piano*, Come Back Baby*, Santaria*, What Would Meek Do?, Infrared


A- 

Gangsta Rap/ Hardcore Hip-hop

Pusha T: King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude (2015) (Hip-hop)

On his second album, Pusha T continues his mafioso raps over darker instrumentals in a tight, sinister album, mostly stepping away from the poppier aesthetics of his previous albums as he finds his groove as a solo artist. It may still have listeners wanting more but an overall enjoyable experience for fans of his brand of hip-hop.



Best Tracks: Intro*, Untouchable*, M.F.T.R.*, M.P.A, F.I.F.A, Sunshine

B+


Gangsta Rap/ Hardcore Hip-hop/ Southern Hip-hop

Pusha T: My Name Is My Name (2013) (Hip-hop)

A solid debut solo album full of coke raps and Pusha's known ferocity. The poppy aesthetic of his previous solo projects remains an occasional drawback and much of the album is feature heavy, but this is still ultimately more of a Pusha T project than his previous efforts with darker rhymes and a glittery often haunting production.


Best Tracks: King Push, Numbers On The Boards*, Sweet Serenade, 40 Acres, Nostalgia, Pain, S.N.I.T.C.H.*




B

Gangsta Rap/ Southern Hip-hop

Fleet Foxes: Sun Giant (2008) (Folk)

On their second EP, Fleet Foxes introduce the kernels of their warm indie-folk aesthetic.



Best Tracks: English House, Mykonos*, Innocent Son

B 


Chamber Folk/ Folk Pop

Fleet Foxes: Crack-Up (2017) (Folk, Rock)

On their third album, Fleet Foxes have effectively sidestepped the evident retro-folk inspirations of previous albums and replaced them with grand orchestral arrangments with more intricacy. The sound is quite a departure from previous albums with much more eclectic instrumentation, incorporating more studio techniques such as sampling and electronic instruments as well as heavier elements of rock. The diversity in sounds is often enjoyable and feels like a unique progression of their sound, but also has the album going through a decent amount of filtration and washes of reverb. The lyrical tone remains similar to their last album, however this time it seems more cerebral and conscious of creating grand folk odysseys. Rather than sounding like the earthy landscapes of previous albums, Crack-Up sounds watery, occasionally stormy and purifying, at times haunting but at times indistinct.

Best Tracks: I Am All That I Need/ Arroyo Secco/ Thumbprint Scar, -Naiads, Cassadias*, Third of May/ Ōdaigahara*, If You Need to, Keep Time on Me, On Another Ocean (January / June)




B+

Chamber Folk/ Folk Rock/ Psychedelic Folk 

Grimes: Geidi Primes (2010) (Pop)

On her debut, Grimes manages to properly introduce herself as the weird, fairy-like artist she has always been known as. Even if the otherworldy jargon basks too much in flippancy and many songs are underbaked, Geildi Primes is influential to the early 2010s dream pop/bedroom pop scene, through the strange and mysterious tone it sets and the instrumental versatility and simplicity.

Best Tracks: Rosa*, Avi, Feyd Rautha Dark Heart, Gambang 

B 



Dream Pop/ Experimental/ Indie Pop

Mac Miller: Circles (2020) (Hip-hop,Pop,Soul)

In continuing Mac's 2018 album Swimming, Circles has blends of hip-hop and soul sung with a Tom Waits vagrant-like romanticism, however, this time with more intimacy and enduring song compositions. The production and drums being bright and punchy are tailored well to most songs, and Mac's singing though ragged manages to be effective in the more soul-oriented songs, giving off the slacker, downhearted feeling he is known for. It is worth noting that Good News may be one of the most emotionally potent songs of the year.

Best Tracks: Circles*, Complicated, Good News*, Everybody, Hand Me Downs, Once A Day



B+




Hip-hop/ Neo-Soul/ Pop Rap

Fleet Foxes: Helplessness Blues (2011) (Folk)

The subtle melancholy of their previous album is now a driving force but now packaged with 60s folk adoration, as shown with the apparent inspirations from Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Cosby, Stills and Nash. The song Lorelai being so akin to Dylans 4th Time Around it almost sounds like a cover, but an excellent one at that, with grander more energetic instrumentation and dynamic vocal passages. But, this is much of the appeal of Helplessness Blues, the ability to borrow the best moments of folk music and translate them into grander, chamber pop songs with enough experimentation and lyrical substance to engage modern listeners. As a band they really show their resiliency, being able to switch effortlessly between grander and more intimate songs while maintaining cohesion in a story of life, loss and love. The vocal harmonizations and instrumental landscapes remain warmer and even more rustic, and the lyrical content is more focused with contrasts of warmth and optimism with an overbearing sadness. The ethos of the album leaves an impression and the album is without a doubt one of the best in its class in recent decades.

Best Tracks: Montezuma*, Bedouin Dress, Sim Sala Bim, Battery Kinzie*, The Plains/ Bitter Dancer, Helplessness Blues*, The Cascades, Lorelai*, Someone You'd Admire*, The Shrine/ An Argument, Blue Spotted Tail*, Grown Ocean


S

Earthy Vibes/Chamber Folk/ Folk Pop

Fleet Foxes: Self Titled (2008) (Folk)

On their debut album, Fleet Foxes craft a tight collection of earthy, warm folk ballads, giving enough poetic substance to give a lasting impression yet have listeners wanting more. The sound is rustic with nods to medieval sounds and themes yet remains very orchestral and polished in composition while maintaining a consistent distance a la chamber-pop aesthetic. An excellent starting point for one of the essential contemporary folk bands, Fleet Foxes remains one of the stronger debuts in modern music.

Best Tracks: Sun It Rises, White Winter Hymnal*, Ragged Wood*, Tiger Mountain Peasant Song, Quiet Houses*, He Doesn't Know Why*, Heard Them Stirring*, Your Protector*, Blue Ridge Mountains, Oliver James



A+

Earthy Vibes/ Chamber Folk/ Folk Pop

Nav: Good Intentions (2020) (Hip-hop,R&B,Trap)

Champion Brown Boy, Nav, returns with another album of mostly lifeless robotic raps and auto crooning with some decent feature performances (Future on My Business) and rare moments of animation even if he litters them with consistently corny raps and generic cliches (Brown Boy, Coast To Coast). The first half of the album is stronger than latter. If you like Nav you will likely enjoy this album but if you don't it's still mostly wallpaper in one of the blandest styles of hip-hop.


Best Tracks: My Business, Turks, Coast To Coast



D-




Alternative R&B/ Hip-hop/ Trap

Fivio Foreign: 800 BC (2020) (Hip-hop)

The production is tacky and overbearing, his flows are alright but nothing special. His adlibs can be obnoxious and too generic like much of the drill scene has been. Not much that sets him apart from others in his scene.




Best Tracks: Demons & Goblins, Awesome

D-





Drill/Hip-hop

Ka: Honor Killed the Samurai (2016) (Hip-hop)

Unlike most traditional MCs, Ka does not rely on vocal fireworks and showy production, instead, Ka opts for an atmospheric, subtle approach mustering a cerebral almost cinematic experience of smoke and grime. His flow and the production all seem very background, sobering and mysterious while the verses he performs are cryptic, confessional and dark, yet deeply satisfying, intriguing and minimalist. A unique sound and aesthetic, Honor Killed the Samurai might not be for all hip-hop fans, but it is genre-pushing enough that many outsiders will perk their ears at this record. Few hip-hop records offer such a unique experience in such a cohesive fashion.

Best Tracks: Conflicted, Just*, That Cold and Lonely, Mourn at Night*, $*, Ours, FinerThings/Tamahagene, I Wish (Death Poem)*

A+

Abstract Hip-hop/ Conscious Rap/Experimental Rap

Chris Brown & Young Thug: Slime & B (2020) (Hip-hop,Pop,R&B)

A Chris Brown mixtape with awkward appearances from Young Thug. I've gotten the sense that Young Thug wants to get into more mainstream circles but here he just feels secondary and his performances are too tame and uninspired for their worth. If you like Chris Brown you might enjoy some bits but an overall ineffective pairing with little artistic merit, that is very shameful and often insulting.

E

Contemporary R&B/Pop Rap/Trap

Against All Logic: 2017-2019 (2020) (Electronic, House)

Notably more meditative and deconstructed than his previous A.A.L project 2012-2017. Nicolas Jaar trades the warm summery house tunes for a more industrial approach. The textures are harsh and cold, sometimes a bit too high frequency for my liking (If You Can't Do It Good, Do It Hard) but his usage of samples and his broad selection of sounds still remains a highlight to his work. Most songs are not as safe for dancing as his last tape, save segments of the first song, Fantasy or the Tech House songs If You Can't Do It Good, Do It Hard and Deeeeeeefers, but the strength of this album comes in the subtle IDM songs If Loving You is Wrong and With an Addict. 

Best Tracks: Fantasy*, If Loving You Is Wrong*, With an Addict*, Alarm, Deeeeeeefers, Penny, You (forever) 

B+

Deconstructed House/IDM/Industrial House/Tech House

Drake: Dark Lane Demo Tapes (2020) (Hip-hop, R&B)

Just like More Life, commercial hip-hop titan, Drake musters up a collection of B side tracks allowing Drake to discredit his artistic responsibility by downplaying the seriousness of his music, referring to his newest project as "Demo Tapes".This would not be as tragic if the tapes were slightly innovative, enjoyable, or even novel to Drake's sound but for the most part, they're snoozers. This was to be expected because they are essentially the withering waste of his last two drab albums, Views and Scorpion. There are some decent parts to this album but it's mostly a consistent mediocre experience. Toosie Slide is a cringy attempt at creating a viral dance, Chicago Freestyle has one of Drakes better performances on the album but is hindered by the very offputting guest performance. Slow cuts (Not You Too, Desires) are just as average and lifeless as expected. The beat on Pain 1993 is pretty nice but the chemistry between Drake and Playboi Carti does not work out. The drill songs (Demons, War) are alright but still sound very inconsequential and demo-like. Drake takes a colder more reflective route on many of these songs and he still seems to define himself by his struggle as if he needs to prove something. Let's hope he has purged these past few album cycles and starts with more clarity and ambition on his next release. Also, Drake needs to stop saying "Broski" and "Tingz" if he wants to be taken seriously.

Best Tracks: D4L, War

D


Contemporary R&B/Drill/Hip-hop/Trap

Rina Sawayama: SAWAYAMA (2020) (Pop, Rock, R&B)

It's refreshing to see an artist so drastically redefine themself so early in their career. Though she previously released an EP (RINA), SAWAYAMA is her full-fledged introduction, touching on themes of family, friends, this album is a more effective portrait of the artist. The naive image of her last EP is gone, now she has an apparent swagger as shown explicitly in Comme des Garcons or in her more fiery confrontational heavy metal excursions (STFU!). This confidence translated largely into a more eclectic but scattered sound. The album is maximalist, in production which allows for a lot of refreshing sounds but can also drown out the punch of certain melodies. The compositions are for the most part simple but also diverse and captivating ranging from breezy pop (Comme des Garcons) to groove metal pop (STFU!). Though not especially innovative to the genres she borrows from, SAWAYAMA is still a project full of well-crafted pop songs expressed in a bold and enjoyable manner.

Best Tracks: Dynasty, STFU!*, Paradisin', Love Me 4 Me, Bad Friend, Who's Gonna Save U Now?, Chosen Family


B

Alternative Rock/ Contemporary R&B/ Dance-Pop