reviews 2018
Piano & a Microphone 1983 available on iTunesPrince Piano & a Microphone 1983
Prince's estate has released a new album, titled Piano & a Microphone 1983, which aptly describes the sparse quality to the recording. Greg notes that this is a demo, just Prince singing and playing the piano, recorded to a cassette tape in 1983. Greg says that the album is valuable because its a glimpse into Prince's artistic process, recorded on the cusp of his breakthrough album, Purple Rain. He adds that, for a Prince fan, this is“manna from heaven.”Both Jim and Greg agree that the album has a couple of revelatory songs, "Cold Coffee and Cocaine" and a cover of the classic spiritual "Mary Don't You Weep;" but ultimately, Jim wonders whether Prince would have wanted this recording released. Prince is no longer with us, but his extensive vault of unreleased material promises that we'll keep seeing new material from him for a long time.
World on Sticks available on iTunesSam Phillips World on Sticks
Sam Phillips's tenth album, World on Sticks, is her first in five years. It brings a more bombastic production style to her songwriting and what Jim calls her "Leonard Cohen-esque acid wit." Jim and Greg agree that the apocalyptic lyrics are strong on this album. Greg calls the album a“small gem”and a carefully considered addition to her artistic oeuvre. He praises the biting string parts of the Section Quartet and the orchestral drumming of Jay Bellerose. Jim, on the other hand, thinks the drums are over the top and says the cabaret-style arrangements are a turn-off to him. He enjoys the songs "How Much is Enough" and "Tears in the Ground" calling them pop gems, though.
Noname Room 25
Noname is a rapper whose poetic roots shine on her debut studio album, Room 25. According to Greg, each listen to the album reveals new meaning. Jim notes that though this is the 26 year old rapper's first studio album, she's given us material for years through her many collaborations with other young artists out of the new Chicago school of hip-hop, including Chance The Rapper, Donnie Trumpet, and Saba, as well as through her well-received first mixtape, Telefone. This album finds her collaborating with up-and-comer Phoelix on production which, according to Greg, results in a 1990s East Coast hip hop sound. Jim adds that the vibe of the record is also reminiscent of artists like Common and D'Angelo (he notes that D'Angelo even gets a shoutout on the track "Don't Forget About Me." Room 25 marks a coming of age for Noname, and for both Jim and Greg, it proves that Noname is among the most exciting female voices in hip hop today.
Egypt Station available on iTunesPaul McCartney Egypt Station
The renowned leader of Wings and key member of some other 1960s band, Paul McCartney, recently released his first album of new material in five years. Named for a painting he made in 1988, Egypt Station has Paul working with frequent Adele collaborator Greg Kurstin and with hit pop songwriter and One Republic frontman Ryan Tedder. After an aggressive promotional push, the album debuted at number 1 on the Billboard charts. While Jim and Greg both grant that McCartney is a legend who has earned the right to do whatever he wants, neither considers this album to be among his best. Jim says he's been involved with 20-30 albums that are better than this one, though Greg says the tracks "Who Cares," "Dominos," "Confidante," and "Ceasar Rock" are“top tier McCartney.”Later McCartney albums with the Fireman group, The Liverpool Sound Collage (a collaboration with Super Furry Animals) and even the covers collection Run Devil Run have more staying power in Jim's opinion. Both Jim and Greg agree that the Ryan Tedder-produced single "Fuh You" is "dire McCartney."
Sorry to Bother You Soundtrack
Before the release of the critically acclaimed film Sorry to Bother You, writer-director (and Chicago native) Boots Riley was best known as the frontman of The Coup, a radical rap group based in Oakland, California. The Coup released a funk rock-infused album also called Sorry to Bother You back in 2012; back then, Riley had penned the film's screenplay but wasn't able to produce it until years later. Jim and Greg chat about the soundtrack to Riley's long-awaited passion project, with tracks featuring Janelle Monáe, Killer Mike, E-40, and Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs. Jim is enthusiastic about the film and soundtrack, which he thinks are a great intro to The Coup. Greg is more ambivalent, maintaining that the original 2012 album is stronger and more original. Jim agrees that the 2012 Sorry to Bother You is full of neglected gems, like the first track ("The Magic Clap").
To the Sunset available on iTunesAmanda Shires To the Sunset
Jim and Greg highlight tracks off singer-songwriter Amanda Shires's new album To the Sunset, which came out earlier this month. Shires has serious musical chops: At just 15, she played violin in The Texas Playboys, once the backing band for“The King of Western Swing,”Bob Wills. She later relocated to Nashville and joined the scene there. Now, when she's not releasing distinctive, genre-busting solo albums, she plays in husband Jason Isbell's touring band, The 400 Unit. Despite Jim's“limited country tolerance,”he loves To the Sunset, especially Shires's gritty violin interludes. He also can‘t help but highlight her flair for telling intense and interesting stories. Shires’s lyric writing is also a selling point for Greg, who finds her songs both pithy and powerful. He appreciates that To the Sunset eschews Americana cliches in favor of something fresh and exciting.
I might Need Security available on iTunesChance The Rapper I might Need Security
Chance The Rapper just dropped his latest EP, 4 new songs, which was technically released as 4 concurrent singles: Wala Cam, 65th & Ingleside, I might Need Security, and Work Out. The release immediately made news for more reasons than one. First off, the rapper hasn't released a solo project since Coloring Book in 2016. That project garnered critical acclaim, as well as 3 Grammys. Secondly, on I Might Need Security, a fiery track on 4, Chance announced that he had purchased the Chicagoist(a now defunct news and culture website that was a sister site to the Gothamist). Greg notes that the song also addresses Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel, and Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner for the way that they have dealt with police-involved shootings and violence in Chicago. Greg notes that the EP shows a more political slant than he has previously; but also showcases a vulnerable side with 65th & Ingleside. Greg calls that track“refreshing”in the way that it deals with Chance's relationship with his now-fiancée and child.“Security”is, according to Jim, "the song that everyone is talking about [on 4], but "65th and Ingleside", that's the brilliant one here".
Ordinary Corrupt Human Love available on iTunesDeafheaven Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
Ordinary Corrupt Human Love is Deafheaven's fourth studio album since 2011. Since their second album, Sunbather, the group has expanded beyond the limits of black metal. This album is their most expansive effort to date, taking its inspiration from Graham Greene and Julio Cortázar. Jim says the sweet and sour sonic combination works well for him. The cathartic release is there, but with a bit of hope to avoid total despair. Greg says the songs that stick closer to the metal/shoegaze hybrid of their previous albums are great, but some of the more experimental tracks fall flat for him. He says Night People is a goth ballad that belongs on the American Horror Story soundtrack, while You Without End is a Broadway song with a guitar solo straight out of a Queen or Boston album from the 1970s.
Everything Is Love available on iTunesBeyoncé & Jay-Z & The Carters Everything Is Love
Beyoncé and Jay-Z released what they're calling the third installment of a trilogy of albums. Everything Is Love, which they released as The Carters, is a joint work in which they reflect on art, black excellence, personal drama and luxury. It follows Beyoncé's Lemonade (2016) and Jay-Z's 4:44 (2017). Greg thinks there are good moments on Everything Is Love, like Beyoncé's singing on "FRIENDS" and Jay-Z owning up to his transgressions. However, he believes this record is merely a PR effort to get people to buy tickets to their concert, and this album doesn't say nearly as much as the previous ones. He gives it a Trash It. Jim agrees in many respects. He loved Lemonade because Beyoncé sung honestly and beautifully about her personal issues as well as bigger picture themes like how black women are treated in society and the Black Lives Matter movement. He wishes there was more substance on this record, and thinks Jay-Z hasn't been at the height of his rap game since the early 2000s. Jim gives the album a Trash It.
Wide Awake! available on iTunesParquet Courts Wide Awake!
Indie rock band Parquet Courts is back with Wide Awake!, their first album since 2014. Jim thinks they are the perfect slacker band, and their lyrics come equipped with plenty of socialist rhetoric. He adds that "They‘ve got a formula, and they work it, and it’s delightful every time." Greg, agrees that they have a solid punk rock formula; however, he thinks that this record does show growth, particularly in their work with producer Brian Burton, also known as Danger Mouse. Songs like Wide Awake bring in funky "danceable elements"; and he was also surprised to find“tenderness”on tracks like Back To Earth. Both Jim and Greg give Wide Awake! a Buy It.
Hell-On available on iTunesNeko Case Hell-On
Neko Case brings us a new Americana/alt-country exploration of Mother Nature's edgy side with Hell-On, her seventh solo album. Greg notes that though other people collaborate with her (including Bjorn Yttling of Peter Bjorn & John, who served as co-producer on six tracks), she is the writer of these songs, he is the main instrumentalist on her record, and she is a producer.“This is her baby,”he asserts,“You can bring on anybody, and it's still going to sound like a Neko Case record because of her massive role in how it sounds.” The album provides what Jim thinks is one of her best lyrics ever on My Uncle's Navy, about a relative that used to mutilate animals. Jim wonders if“that's what sent Neko down this strange nature path.”However, Jim says that ultimately, this is“merely a very good Neko Case record.”Jim and Greg give the album a Double Buy It.
Tell Me How You Really Feel available on iTunesCourtney Barnett Tell Me How You Really Feel
Jim thinks that Courtney Barnett is one of the most important discoveries of the past decade. Her well-received debut album, 2015's Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, helped to introduce her clever lyricism and skillful guitar work to the world. Her 2017 album with Kurt Vile, Lotta Sea Lice, followed. And for fans of Barnett, her sophomore solo album, Tell Me How You Really Feel, doesn't disappoint. Greg notes there is“a little bit of humor”and fun. He likes her penchant for writing about“everyday details”and her ability to“boil it down for you in just a few words.”Jim enjoys both the“melodic riffs, and the wonderful squalls of noise”that draw comparisons to Kurt Cobain. But he notes that Courtney's lyricism is much more poetic than Cobain. On this album, she touches on issues like misogyny, with songs like "Nameless, Faceless" which quotes Margaret Atwood, who once said that“Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.”Both Jim and Greg give the album an enthusiastic Buy It.
Dirty Computer available on iTunesJanelle Monáe Dirty Computer
After a five year hiatus, Janelle Monáe has returned with Dirty Computer, an album that Jim calls“a new masterpiece.”He adds that in the past (with 2010's The ArchAndroid and 2013's Electric Lady), "she was playing with afrofuturism and science fiction themes," but Dirty Computer "comes together is a much more organic way as a great pop album." Greg notes that this record strips away her alias, an android named Cindi Mayweather. The result is Janelle at her most personal. Monáe is influenced by Prince, and Greg says in songs like "Make Me Feel"“you can hear it in the way those grooves work. It's a call to action record built for dancing.”Jim and Greg both give the album a Buy It.
Exile in Guyville available on iTunesLiz Phair Exile in Guyville
This month, Liz Phair's debut album Exile in Guyville will be reissued to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its initial release. This reissue will include the complete Girly-Sound tapes, which will be the first time that material will be released on a label for purchase. Back in 1991, Greg says that everybody in Chicago who cared about music had“a dub of a dub of a dub”of the tapes (which were recorded in Liz Phair's bedroom and released independently.) Many of the tracks evolved into material on Exile in Guyville. Jim and Greg agree that the album is a anthemic counter statement to Chicago's“Boy's Club”music scene. They both thought the album was great in 1993; and Greg says the recording "stands the test of time." Jim thinks that the idea that Exile in Guyville is a track by track response to The Rolling Stones' classic Exile on Main St. is strictly positioning, and“doesn't hold up.”Greg thinks that with the creation of that myth she was“playing the critics”and she was being "very tongue in cheek." 25 years later, Both Jim and Greg give Exile in Guyville a Buy It.
Historian available on iTunesLucy Dacus Historian
Lucy Dacus made a big splash with her first release, 2016's No Burden. Historian is the sophomore album from the indie singer-songwriter, who delivers the same thoughtful lyrics and quiet moments. According to Greg, one of the standout tracks on this album is "Pillar of Truth."“Pillar”clocks in at over 7 minutes and“just builds and builds to that moment when Dacus raises her voice for basically the first and only time on the album.”Greg adds that though No Burden got a lot of acclaim, "Historian is a better album." He gives it an enthusiastic Buy It. Jim concedes that he also“loves when the songs build, but he wants the whole album to be that way.”He says that there are great lines, but he doesn't“share the level of enthusiam”[that Greg has for the record]. Jim gives the album a Try It.
Invasion of Privacy available on iTunesCardi B Invasion of Privacy
Right now, Bronx rapper Cardi B is everywhere after she dropped her debut studio album Invasion of Privacy. Cardi gained notoriety through Instagram and as a cast member on the reality show Love & Hip Hop New York, but her musical prowess and work ethic are at the forefront now (her mega hit "Bodak Yellow" is still a dominant presence on the charts a year after its release.) Jim has some problems with this record because of its frequent usage of the“b word”and excessive mentions of material items. However, he praises Cardi for her intelligent and humorous lyrics and how she is an empowering figure to young people of all colors and gender identities. Jim gives it a Try It. Greg agrees that he could do without some of the commercialization, but highlights the catchy hooks and vibe of the album. He also notes that Cardi B has been discerning with this record, showing the juxtaposition of strength and vulnerability and is the driver's seat of her career. Even if rap isn't your thing, Greg believes Invasion of Privacy is a must-listen and a Buy It.
Golden Hour available on iTunesKacey Musgraves Golden Hour
According to Jim DeRogatis, Kacey Musgraves has been recording“basically forever,”he adds that,“Shortly after she could walk she started playing the mandolin.”On her latest album, Golden Hour, Kacey Musgraves offers a contemporary country album that has sounds that listeners might not expect on a country recording. For starters, there's the vocoder on "Oh What a World" and "Butterflies," and then there's the disco bassline on "High Horse." Jim says "Mother" could be on a Tori Amos record, while Greg says that the track is a meta-song about“what it means to be a woman, what it means to be a mother.”Greg also notes that Rainbow is draped in "LGBTQ colors." Jim and Greg give the album a Double Buy It.
Years available on iTunesSarah Shook & the Disarmers Years
Jim and Greg were both happy to find that the new Sarah Shook & the Disarmers album, Years, still has the alt-county rough edges that they appreciated on her debut, 2015's Sidelong. Only this time, Greg notes that Sarah upped her vocal game, approaching a song like "Heartache in Hell"“like a jazz vocalist… living each word, each syllable in those lines.”Jim notes that in the song "Damned If I Do, Damned If I Don't,"“she's having these inner battles, and she's doing it in front of a microphone.”Jim and Greg give Years a Double Buy It.
Black Panther available on iTunesKendrick Lamar & Anderson Paak & the Weeknd & SZA & Vince Staples Black Panther
The film Black Panther has broken all sorts of box office records, but its the soundtrack that has caught Jim and Greg's attention. Helmed by Kendrick Lamar, the album features a stars like SZA, the Weeknd and Anderson Paak; but Greg notes that lesser known artists like singer Jorja Smith and South African rapper Yugen Blakrock are“the real revelation”here. Greg says Blakrock goes toe to toe and holds her own against Vince Staples on Opps. He adds that producer Sounwave contributes a“haunted”Carribean sound. Jim loves the "musical variety: R&B, rap, afro soul, and South African pop. He notes that though the album isn't as closely connected to the film as Curtis Mayfield's 1972 classic Super Fly, it is "a wonderful companion to the film". Jim and Greg give the album a double Buy It.
What a Time to be Alive available on iTunesSuperchunk What a Time to be Alive
Superchunk has returned with their 11th album, What a Time to be Alive. According to Greg, in recent years the North Carolina indie rockers tend to put out work only when they have a purpose behind it. Jim and Greg both believe this album strikes a particularly insistent political tone. In fact, Greg adds that the album“just roars.”He's never heard singer/guitarist Mac McCaughan sound so worked up, and adds that with tracks like "Reagan Youth" Superchunk“return the favor”to groups like Reagan Youth that inspired them back in the 1980s. Jim says that in times of crisis, music helps motivate people. He thinks that songs like "Break the Glass" fuel that motivation. Jim and Greg give the record a double Buy It.
Chime available on iTunesDessa Chime
Chime is Dessa's fourth full-length album, and the singer/rapper/philosopher has given us an album that is according to Jim“brilliant,”even name-checking St. Thomas Aquinas. Greg notes that the record explores how“women measure their lives today”in a world where getting through the day without incident is a win; and suggests that she's saying“we need to have a better world than this.”He praises the creative production, whether it's a sitar sample (in "Fire Drills") or a chamber pop cello solo (in "Velodrome.") Greg thinks Dessa's pop vocals are less unique, but concedes that they provide a“good counterbalance”to heavier themes. Jim says the record balances“self-empowerment and sensitivity.”Chime gets a Double Buy It from Jim and Greg.
Little Dark Age available on iTunesMGMT Little Dark Age
The pop electronic group MGMT just released their fourth album, Little Dark Age. Formed at Wesleyan University, the band found critical and commercial success almost immediately with their debut record Oracular Spectacular. Since then however, the band has failed to garner as much attention. Greg is a bit torn on this album. He thinks there are some horribly cliched and bad tracks like "She Works Out Too Much" and "TSLAMP," but he also argues that there are some pretty catchy and solid pop songs ("When You're Small," "James".) He gives Little Dark Age a Try It. Jim is far less enthused with the record. On paper, MGMT seems like a band Jim would love, but in reality, he's not the slightest bit smitten. He calls them“smug, derivative and pretentious”and says he would trash this album a million times over. Needless to say, he gives it a Trash It.
Man of the Woods available on iTunesThe Neptunes & Justin Timberlake Man of the Woods
After a five year recording hiatus, Justin Timberlake has returned with Man of the Woods. The album is a sonic departure from the soul-infused pop of his earlier releases such as Justified and FutureSex/LoveSounds. According to Jim, Justin's goal with Man of the Woods was to make an album that was "Americana with 808s… old country with drum machines." Jim loved that concept; but believes that despite production from The Neptunes and Timbaland, the resulting album fell flat. Greg finds the working man character on tracks like "Livin' Off the Land" hard to swallow, and calls "Her," a spoken word interlude featuring Justin's wife, Jessica Biel, to be“embarrassing”and a“Hallmark commercial.”Ultimately, Jim questions whether the whole project is supposed to be taken seriously at all, or whether it's a "Portlandia-level joke." The hosts give Man of the Woods a double Trash It.
Ruins available on iTunesFirst Aid Kit Ruins
The Swedish duo First Aid Kit is returning with their fourth studio album, Ruins. The band, made up of sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg, is known for their beautiful and intricate harmonies. While Jim loves these harmonies, he finds that Ruins relies on that strength a bit too much. He loves when the duo ups the production with a big backing band sound that pushes them out of their comfort zone. He thinks Ruins is half a great album and gives it a Try It. Greg really enjoys First Aid Kit, and loves when they show a different, rocking side to them. He loved when the band performed a cover of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" when he saw them on tour in 2015. He also loved their single "You Are the Problem Here," a song that eviscerates men who abuse their power to harass women. Greg wishes he would have seen more of the duo's intense side, but he enjoys the harmonies and beautiful vocals the band supplies. He gives it a Try It.
I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life available on iTunestUnE-yArDs I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life
Merrill Garbus is back with her fourth full-length tUnE-yArDs project, titled I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life. Jim says that immediately before writing this album, Garbus was on a six-month meditation workshop to see what she could do "as a white person in the realm of social justice. That sounds like heady and heavy stuff…It's not though. This is a dance album, heavily influenced by '70s disco, and I think the classic sounds of Chicago house." Greg adds that the album“could easily be ponderous, but she's paring cultural appropriation, the end of the world… these are heavy subjects… with this incredibly liberating music, this body music.”Standout tracks include "{track: Heart Attack", "Colonizer" and "Home". Jim and Greg give it a double Buy It.
Post- available on iTunesJeff Rosenstock Post-
Punk rocker Jeff Rosenstock has been making music for about two decades, but according to Greg, Post- is his“best record yet.”Built around two epic, proggy, Yes-like jams ("USA" and "Let Them Win,") Greg notes there's an anthemic quality to the music, with lyrics that reflect the challenges that many of us face. Greg adds that he loves the fact that the album doesn't rely on just“that caffeinated energy that has always been a part of his shows.”Jim says Jeff has the energy of the prolific garage rocker Ty Segall and some of the earnestness of James Alex of Beach Slang. However, Jim adds that Jeff could have used a producer that edited him a bit more (a critique he believes also applies to Segall). Ultimately, both Jim and Greg give the record a Double Buy It.
No_One Ever Really Dies available on iTunesN.E.R.D. No_One Ever Really Dies
After a seven year hiatus, N.E.R.D. (the Pharrell Williams/Neptunes side project) has returned with their fourth album No_One Ever Really Dies. As The Neptunes, Chad Hugo & Pharrell crafted synthy, quirky, poppy hip hop and R&B for the likes of Jay-Z and Kelis in the 1990s and early '00s. Then in 1999, they formed N.E.R.D. with Shay Haley. In the time since N.E.R.D.'s last album, 2010's Nothing, Pharrell Williams has made a name for himself as a solo artist. Most notably, he achieved mainstream success with the smash hit "Happy," all while maintaining his signature sense of quirk. Greg says it's that quirkiness, along with a knack for hooks that attracted him to their sound in the first place. He likes this effort for its“weird, buzzy tone”and its psychedelic energy. Greg gives it a Buy It. Jim calls N.E.R.D. an“experimental garage band.”He adds this project has an uneven success rate with its long list of collaborations, including tracks with Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, and Ed Sheeran. Jim gives it a Try It.