An Album A Day... Updates Inside!

Another week, another entry, more ramblings.

Welcome to back to the greatest series of all time. I hope you all have had a lovely week, I sure did. Moving forward, I’m switching up some of the “rules” for this series. I am now two days behind on reviews, so instead of adding the date to the beginning of every review, I will be using entry numbers instead. Just for my sanity of “catching up,” I’d rather keep up with numbers rather than trying to remember what day in January that one review is for. The goal is to still (hopefully) hit 365 entries by the end of the year! Anyway, enough of the housekeeping, let’s get to what you’re here for! There was some great variety this week, including British heavy metal, experimental hip hop, and the first album recommendation of the series from none other than Hugh Puddles. So, let’s jump into another week!

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Entry 18 // Angel Witch - Angel Witch

Let’s get this out of the way earlier: I am not a fan of NWOBHM, which I learned today was the acronym for the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. I’ve always appreciated the musicianship and talent, but it’s never been my favorite genre. The riffs are typically fun, the vocals are impressive, and the bass is often tasty — but the genre as a whole has just never gelled with me. I had never heard of Angel Witch, but after doing some digging, I found out they were an influential band in the pioneering of the genre… which shows how little I actually know about NWOBHM. So, maybe this album would change my mind?

Unfortunately, most of my criticism remains the same: the instrumentation is there, but the connection isn’t. Angel Witch clearly has a lot of talent and songwriting capabilities, with catchy choruses on the opening duo “Angel Witch” and “Atlantis,” outstanding guitar solos in “Sweet Danger” and “Confused,” and a beautiful display of dynamics with softer moments on jams like “Sorcerers.” However, despite all the positivity I could share, it really just isn’t my thing at the end of the day. Each individual aspect is impressive for sure. Those guitar riffs are an iconic staple of the genre and the groovy, galloped bass lines at the foundation of every song keep the songs chugging right along. The higher register vocals soar throughout the choruses and harmonize so gorgeously with each other that they feel epic. That drum work is tasty and does such a great job complementing the speed of the riffs while maintaining chops that don’t feel stagnant or uninspired. Angel Witch truly is one of the best the genre has to offer, from what I’ve heard.

Yet, it’s still not for me. I know it’s a me problem for sure, and I can absolutely respect the classic feel of this record, and I can certainly see how it would be a building block for the genre, but it’s not my type of music. Maybe one day it will click for me, but today is not that day. However, one final thing I would like to add is how good Angel Witch sounds like. In the 30th Anniversary edition of the record, there are four songs included from their BBC show in 1980, and it sounds phenomenal and nearly identical to the album versions, the vocals especially. Even if I may not enjoy it to its fullest extent, I can’t deny how talented this band is.

6.5/10

Favorite Track: Gorgon

Least Favorite Track: White Witch

Final Thoughts:If any of you have recs for what I should listen to of NWOBHM, please let me know, because I hope one day I could enjoy it more.

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Entry 19 // Amon Tobin - Supermodified

To say I don’t know much about electronic music would be the understatement of the century. It’s not a genre that I go out of my way to check out, and quite honestly, it has never been a style that I’ve ever gravitated toward. However, a name that I do know is Amon Tobin. I checked out Permutation a couple years ago, and while I haven’t really returned to it since, I had a lot of respect and appreciation for the amount of experimentation and uniqueness his style had. Much of the same can be said about Supermodified. Although it isn’t my favorite genre, there truly is a lot here to dive into — and as I write this now, it has honestly grown on me a ton.

The major highlight of this record is Tobin’s ability to transform just about anything into a piece of the music puzzle. In “Golfer versus Boxer,” it’s that gritty chainsaw/motor sample that goes from being a sound effect to being the basis of particular bass sections and drum patterns. “Deo” thrives off of (what sounds like) reversed sound bites that add a unique melodic layer to the track’s dark and droning bass tone. However, not all of the experimentation hits the mark for me, as “Precursor” might be one of the most infuriating tracks I’ve ever listened to. While I certainly appreciate how out there of a track it is, the use of (I guess) mouth noise sound bites gets old so quickly for me, and begins to annoy rather than entertain — but it would be unfair to let this one aspect alone take the rest of Supermodified down.

My favorite thing about this record is the clear jazz influence and the way it is so flawlessly integrated within the electronic style. Tracks like “Slowly” and “Chocolate Lovely” wear the influence on their sleeves with swung drum chops and jazzy melodies seeping their way through the electronic samples and synths. Others like “Saboteur” and “Four Ton Mantis” are a bit more subtle, the former featuring a more abrasive percussive style that matches the bass swing and the latter concluding with soothing piano and drum interplay that immediately places the track as a top highlight.

While I can’t say that this necessarily changed my mind on how much I enjoy electronic music, this was an extremely fun listen. I can definitely see myself coming back to this album and probably more of Amon Tobin in the near future. The unique blend of experimental and avant-garde styles with the rather simple but compelling structure makes Supermodified a pleasant jam. Who knows, maybe this could be my entry into trying more electronic-centric music moving forward.

8.5/10

Favorite Track: Golfer versus Boxer

Least Favorite Track: Precursor

Final Thoughts:I am certainly overreacting here and being hyperbolic, but there was a part of me that wanted to stop listening to the album halfway through “Precursor.” Once again, not because it was necessarily a bad track, but because I didn’t know if I could handle THAT level of experimentation.

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Entry 20 // JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown - SCARING THE HOES

What’s better than Danny Brown? JPEGMAFIA with Danny Brown, of course! Two of my favorite experimental hip-hop artists collaborating on a record together. Yet for some reason, I had never fully developed an opinion on SCARING THE HOES before. I had a rating for it floating out there before, but I couldn’t quite remember why I gave it that rating or what sort of lasting impact the record had on me. So, I wanted to dive into it, but more intentionally this time. The record hits just about everything I love about these two: JPEG’s absurd production style and flow with Danny Brown’s unique flow and tonality — and it is masterful.

Immediately, “Lean Beef Patty” sets the tone with an upbeat and abrasive track, filled to the brim with a punchy bass and glitchy electronic samples over top that give it a hyper style that matches the energy of the duo’s bars. From there, SCARING THE HOES never takes its foot off the gas. Every song is full of pure intensity that is blistering from start to finish. For simplicity sake, we can break this album up into two groups: the abrasive jams and the smooth grooves. One is not better than the other, but they complement each other perfectly.

First: the abrasive jams. These songs are characterized by piercing synths, chaotic percussion, and/or clashing samples. “Garbage Pale Kids” sets itself as a prime example of this category. The percussion sounds like clanging pots and pans with structure, the sampled vocals give an eerie tone to it, and the ending features distorted guitar work (???) that just ties it all together perfectly. The title track follows suit, with a grainy mix of percussion and bass as a saxophone maintains a consistent melody, interrupted by random note screeches that remind you this is in fact a JPEG production. Perhaps the best part about these jams are each of the artists’ flows, with Danny Brown’s nasally and psychotic sounding tone bouncing along to the chaotic grooves while JPEG’s smoother voice creates a great contrast to the abrasiveness.

On the other hand, we have the smooth grooves. These tracks dominate the latter half of the record, creating a natural flow from the chaos of the introduction to the more refined conclusion (aside from the closer, which fits nicely within the previous category). “Orange Juice Jones” and “Jack Harlow Combo Meal” have a subtle jazz touch that bring a bit of respite from the intensity of the rest of SCARING THE HOES, feeling like the calmer, little brother of Danny Brown’s abstract jazz experimentation on Atrocity Exhibition. Other tracks like “Kingdom Hearts Key” and “HOE (Heaven on Earth)” are filled with beautiful sounding melodies that complement the surrounding calamity of the record.

I’m really glad that I took the time to give this a strong intentional listen finally. There is so much to dig into here that reveals itself more and more with each listen. JPEG and Danny Brown are two of the best at the experimental hip-hop style, and to hear them come together and highlight each other’s strengths is a match made in heaven. While I personally prefer the peaks of their individual discographies (Atrocity Exhibition and LP! Offline), SCARING THE HOES is a phenomenal display of these two highlighting each other’s unique styles within the same project.

9.5/10

Favorite Track: Burfict!

Least Favorite Track: Jack Harlow Combo Meal

Final Thoughts:No one was scared in the making of this review.

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Entry 21 // Ungdomskulen - Cry-Baby

Hailing out of Norway, Ungdomskulen is a trio of talented musicians with a ton of versatility in their style. Attempting to nail down one descriptive genre for Cry-Baby would be impossible, but let me try to explain the sound best I can. The main foundation is progressive rock, with the track structures sprawling all over the place with intention and purpose. However, the in-betweens of each track is where the variety comes into play. In opener “Ordinary Son,” the chorus relies on interplay between the bass and guitar in a funky manner with falsetto vocals layered over top, creating a gritty indie rock style that veers into post-punk territory at times. The ending of “Feels Like Home” dives into the realm of noise rock with a wall of sound and chaos from tremolo picked bass and eerily strummed guitar chords as the vocals shift back and forth between a softly muttered delivery and shouted vocal phrasing. Moreover, “Spartacus” leans into a funky groove driven by disco-esque drum chops, leading to an interesting contrast between the bouncy drum rhythm and the distorted octave progression of the bass and guitar.

However, while this variety and intense attention to detail within the song structures is impressive and exemplary of the group’s talent, it also leads into the biggest flaw of the record: pacing. For much of its duration, Cry-Baby is in one consistent speed with some variety to “spice it up” every once in a while. Despite the differences in the tracks, the long track lengths lead to monotonous progression, making unique tracks like “Modern Drummer” and “My Beautiful Blue Eyes” seem to bleed together due to their reliance on similar tempos and tension building. By the end of the record, the individually great “Witches Mate In The Underground” becomes slightly tiresome as the style and unique appeal has run its course. The problem isn’t that the songs themselves have unique identities, because as above, each song has its own touch of another genre that gives it a special feel. It’s the lack of different paces as none of the songs here ever truly slow down and allow a track to fully breathe.

Although this lack of pacing does become a bit of an issue by the end of Cry-Baby, there really isn’t much at fault within this record. Ungdomskulen comes out of the gate firing on all cylinders for their debut album, and their impressive songwriting ability is present throughout. Each member of the band is highly skilled at their respective instrument, and the chemistry among them is what leads to such a well-crafted and cohesive record. Though it can be all too cohesive by the end, Cry-Baby is the perfect stepping stone for the rest of their discography.

8/10

Favorite Track: Spartacus

Least Favorite Track: Ungdomskulen

Final Thoughts:Fun fact of the day: the Norwegian word “Ungdomskolen” means “secondary school” or “middle school” in English.

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Entry 22 // Ski Mask the Slump God - STOKELEY

Alright, I gotta be honest about something up front. I am very biased with Ski Mask the Slump God as a whole. I know his music isn’t the peak of hip hop, but I absolutely love his stuff. Back in my senior year of high school, I just started getting into rap music, and STOKELEY was actually one of the first albums I listened to that got me further into the genre, so it holds a lot of value for me. Oddly enough, without Ski Mask the Slump God, I probably wouldn’t have gotten into all of the stuff I listen to today. Anyway, enough of my back story, what about the album?

STOKELEY is fun… and that’s as far as you need to take the record. I’ve always viewed it as something you shouldn’t take seriously, and that’s where the entertainment sets in. The two biggest hits, “Nuketown” and “Faucet Failure,” are the clearest examples of this thought process. The former is a high-powered and aggressive tune that has a shouted chorus that is so stupid that it’s a major highlight, further enhanced by humorous bars like “Two girls, two cups you know I had to level up,” and one of Juice WRLD’s most ferocious features. On the other hand, the latter sits in the pocket with a smooth beat and groove that allows Ski Mask’s flow to glide, creating a simple and catchy jam that will easily get stuck in your head. They’re nothing more than casual listens that you can throw on, and that’s where STOKELEY really excels. The intense bass-forward tracks of “Foot Fungus” and “LA LA” feed off that same humorous vibe and allow them to lean into the strengths of Ski Mask’s flow and witty lyrical phrasing.

However, STOKELEY’s biggest flaw is when it attempts to deviate from that ideology. As I’ve said, Ski Mask succeeds most when he leans into his unserious tone and absurd lyricism — yet there are just a few too many songs here that attempt to establish a serious structure. These songs aren’t bad by any means, but they are a far cry from what the highs of the record offer. “So High” and “Save Me Pt 2” offer some of the first moments of his career that he focuses more on melody than beat, with both featuring more of a singing type of flow rather than his typical satirical delivery. While it is nice to have a little bit of variety in STOKELEY and it shows a more diverse side of Ski Mask, it just doesn’t feel like him… and they honestly stick out like a sore thumb amidst the more silly cuts like “Adults Swim” and “Cat Piss.”

At the end of the day, STOKELEY is a beyond entertaining listen. Even after five or six years, I come back to this album often and listen to the highlights. Ski Mask the Slump God has one of my favorite flows in rap, and even though all of his music isn’t top tier, it is always fun to come back and throw on a couple hits in a playlist and vibe with it. Sure, not all of STOKELEY is a hit, but the tracks that do hit are exceptional.

7.5/10

Favorite Track: Faucet Failure

Least Favorite Track: So High

Final Thoughts: Aside from “Lucid Dreams,” “Nuketown” was my first introduction to Juice WRLD and I was extremely disappointed at the time to learn that the shouted flow wasn’t his typical delivery… it was a sad day.

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Entry 23 // Son Volt - Day of the Doug

Day of the Doug is such a smooth listen. The acoustics, the twangy guitars, the simple drum chops, the layered melodies; they all just work together so well. Whether it’s an electric guitar driven jam like “Float Away” or “Juan Mendoza” or a cleaner acoustic progression track like “Beautiful Texas Sunshine” or “Seguin,” Son Volt shows their versatility within alternative country, bringing in influences of country rock, americana, and folkier structures. The only problem: monotony. While it is a silky smooth listen, it all starts to blend together quickly. Unfortunately, although the songs themselves are all individually great, it’s difficult to differentiate them within the tracklist of Day of the Doug. Now, this isn’t necessarily a massive issue, since this is a wonderful casual listen. Without paying too much attention, the record glides by without any interruptions or miscues, but it almost feels like it’s stuck in autopilot. Nonetheless, the record is still quite enjoyable and worth the listen, especially with cuts like “It’s Gonna Be Easy” to showcase the impressive songwriting ability with just the vocals and guitars. Day of the Doug might not be an album that makes its way into my rotation, but it certainly piques my interest for the rest of Son Volt’s discography.

7/10

Favorite Track: It’s Gonna Be Easy

Least Favorite Track: Poison Love

Final Thoughts: I’m not really sure how I haven’t listened to these guys before, especially considering my love for alternative country as a whole. However, I will definitely be listening to more of their stuff moving forward (and maybe even doing a discog dive for them in the future on this series).

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I hope y’all enjoyed this week’s ramblings! I’ll see you all next Sunday with even more albums and even more words!