No Fun Haus - Falling Down (2021) (S)

 

I haven't listened to a whole lot of NFH, but this new release definitely captured my attention. Falling Down experiments with brass, which, along with the chord progressions and the acoustic guitar, give the whole song a spanish vibe. Its different from other NFH releases, yet not too far out of the discography. I like it, its slow, soft, and easy on the ears. Although due to the songs simplicity, it doesnt really give me much to talk about, but that isn't really a negative thing. Its just a simple song, and thats perfectly okay.

7.5/10.

Larry Jothyim / BAM - really late valentine's day present (2021) (S)

 

Larry Jothyim is known for his aggressive rap style and his reoccurring themes of being higher than all, but his latest track, 'really late valentine's day present' shows off the exact opposite of the LJ we know and love, and displays a new, honest, acoustic side that is just as enjoyable. Despite being just released, RLVDP sounds like a track that has aged like a fine wine. The simple, easy-on-the-ears acoustic is sweet and enjoyable, especially in context to his last song, but also stands strong by itself. The chorus of vocals compliments the instrumental perfectly, and the song is well composed altogether. The lyrics are great, and overall, the song definitely deserves a spot in the LJ hall of fame, next to HEISENBERG. Although it is a deviation from the usual Jothyim antics, the song manages to be a hit with its well crafted instrumental, vocals and lyrics, despite being unrelated to previous works, scoring it a 9/10.

Larry Jothyim - FUNNYADLIB$ (2021) (S)

 

Larry Jothyim is one of the few modern day rap artists I listen to. I appreciate his lyrics, his 'flow' and the actual core melodies (both musically and vocally) that he conjures up. However, his most recent track, FUNNYADLIB$, doesn't sit as well as other tracks do with me.

The song isn't terrible - I do not hate the track, but it is definitely not one of LJ's strongest songs in his catalog. I've heard a lot of people do enjoy the track, but to me, I find this to be a somewhat weak track in terms of structure. I think the beat of the song is ear-rattling and uncomfortable to listen to. The chord progression is okay, but the way its presented is not something i'd want to have on repeat. Most of the lyrics are staple topics in the Jothyim library - murder and fame - but some lyrics aren't as heavy hitters as others. At the beginning of the song, LJ states he is a genius (which is as classic LJ as classic LJ gets) but a few lines later, says he'd remain 'stainless' and 'unnamed', which contradicts earlier lyrics as well as Jothyim's infamous personality of being #1 across society, whether it be the rap game, gang affiliation or just the common man. These lyrics more-so feel like theyre just supposed to fall into the rhyme scheme rather than state something.

However, not everything is downhill for this track. LJ's strong, loud, aggressive rap style is present in this track, as seen in HEISENBERG, which in my opinion, is the GOAT when it comes to Jothyim's discography. The way he vocalizes his lyrics to the song is flawless, and the sound effects and extra vocals present fit the lyrics as opposed to just being random sounds.

Overall, the song sits somewhere a long a 6/10 for me. Its weak lyrics and unbearable beat really ruin it, but LJ also proves he hasn't lost his way when it comes to his signature flow after being away for so long. I hope this track sparks interest in music again for LJ, since his hiatus was rather lengthy.

Matt Watson - Ouch! (2020) (A)

 

Before I start this review, I do know who Matt Watson was before I had listened to this album. That did not affect my opinion on the album.

'Ouch!' was not something I was excited for or hyped for before hand. This is the first album i've reviewed where I haven't listened to the album 100s of times over the course of many years and am finally putting my opinions on virtual paper, no - the first time I listened to this album was last week, and I loved it.

I initially found 'Come Over' on Spotify when it suggested I should add it to a playlist. I saw the name of the artist and thought i'd give it a listen, and I am still obsessed with the song. After loving the track, I thought i'd listen to the whole album and im so glad I did. The album is a phenomenal collection of Pop music.

My favourite tracks being the aforementioned Come Over, Margie, and the obscure, Radiohead-esque Sleep Tight. Jello doesnt have enough substance to it I feel, and Nokia feels too bland compared to the other tracks, and Feel This Way doesn't strike me in the way that the other tracks do. But the tracks that do hit, hit hard. The melodies and lyrics are catchy, and the songs have enough miniscule changes to them to keep you listening to the track at hand.

Now as I mentioned, the album feels like a collection, which to some people may seem obvious, but what I mean by it is the album doesn't really go anywhere with its melodies. Im not saying the melodies are bad, far from it, but the album doesnt take any turns aside from Sleep Tight. It feels like a collection of similar sounding singles.

I wont talk harshly about the length of the album, as this is Watson's first outing into a full-sized music project as opposed to a single or comedic-sketch-song, so I will cut him some slack there.

8.5/10.

Taeko Ohnuki - SUNSHOWER (1977) (A)

 

I've been a fan of Ohnuki's work for a while now, having listened to most of her discography. Alongside Mignonne and Romantique, SUNSHOWER (which from this point on will be written as 'Sunshower' as opposed to its stylization in all capitals) is one of my favourite albums in her library.  Sunshower is an excellent demonstration of Ohnuki's general composition style, as well as being a great album by itself. The album displays upbeat, multi-instrument songs like Tokai, Summer Connection and (ironically) Silent Screamer, as well as softer piano driven tracks with some jazz elements thrown in. The album itself paints colours of light blue and dull greens in my mind - the colours of a field on a summer's day, even with the aforementioned piano songs. The album brings a joyous tone and feel alongside it, which I am a huge fan of.

8/10.

Hako Yamazaki - Tobimasu (1975) (A)

 I wrote a review about this album way back on a website called AllMusic, so here is the review from that website.

There is not a single song on this album I dislike. I think every song on this record belongs where its placed, and I think every song on this album is amazing. 'Nostalgia' opens the album with a soft guitar arrangement that sets the tone for 90% of the album, and right from the beginning of the album, Hako throws her heart and soul into her voice. The following songs get better and better, each complimenting the last in my opinion. "Change of Pace" brings quite literally, a change of pace to the album, breaking away from the somber tones of the songs on the record to keep things fresh. 'Man and a Woman in a Room' is a great closer to the album that compliments 'Nostalgia' really well. The sound itself, the placement of the songs and they way they compliment each other all mix together to form an amazing, 10/10 album.

Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002) (A)

 A lot of people dislike Coldplay, mainly for their music being "too happy" or just annoying pop music, which are reasons I dont quite understand, but I oppose regardless. For the people who's only taste of Coldplay is Viva la Vida, Paradise, Hymn for the Weekend and Something Just Like This (which isn't even a Coldplay song) and form the opinion of the band being 'bad', they need to listen to A Rush of Blood to the Head.

The album speaks about (from my own perceptions) beauty, loneliness, loss, and self awareness / disassociation. 'God put a Smile upon Your Face' talks about the constant struggle of wanting to be better than someone by being worse off, as a sort of competition for the sympathy of others. "Clocks" discusses the odd idea of everyone being in a rush to accomplish their life goals instead of taking the time to enjoy life. The album discusses real things that people can relate to, though they may not recognize it at first.

Now the general listener isn't going to look that deeply into a track, but I honestly think the melodies created by the band in this album are really well done, like the aforementioned Clocks, In My Place, and Daylight.

Personally I could listen to the album over and over and not get sick of it. I love every track in the album, from start to finish. I wouldn't rearrange their order in any way, I think the construction of this album is pristine, from the tracks themselves to the order of them, everything. Whether it be the topics at hand in the tracks or the melodies of the songs themselves, its all a really good experience. 

10/10.