Sam won our hearts with “Stay With Me” in 2014. Six years later, he has decided to leave his balladry behind and approach dance-pop. But has he, really? Here’s a review of Sam’s latest album, Love Goes. Sam Smith quickly became the crown prince of ballads when he debuted with the heart-wrenching “Stay With Me” in 2014. Following up with the gospel-infused hit ballad “Too … Continue reading An Anxious Dance Move
Following up their extended play from 2016, Atlanta rappers 21 Savage and Metro have finally returned with a full-length successor. The art of following up a successful original is one of the hardest challenges an artist can face, especially when the original has been hailed by some as an essential cornerstone in the shaping of the trap genre. 21 Savage and Metro are far from … Continue reading 21 & Metro Underperform on “Savage Mode II” [Album Review]
From the very beginning, Bruce Springsteen was always the everyday person’s artist: a poor guy with huge talent, who had to work hard to gain the attention he deserved. But Springsteen never fell out of people’s hearts since his breakthrough with Born to Run in 1975. Better than anyone else, Springsteen wrote lyrics that hard-working people from his native New Jersey and low-class neighbourhoods all … Continue reading Bruce Spingsteen’s “Letter to You,” a Stellar Live Performance [Album Review]
In the past, Gorillaz’ albums have often suffered from a lack of consistency, an endless stream of loosely constructed ideas and demos that would sometimes, like on their self-titled debut, result in a masterpiece — but more often result in an unfocused album difficult to grasp. Needless to say, I had my doubts when the group declared the Song Machine project, with songs being released … Continue reading Gorillaz Bring Together Beautiful Talent on “Song Machine, Season One” [Album Review]
Falling in love at the roller rink is just about anyone’s life goal, and Duckwrth provided that feeling and so much more in his virtual concert on Tuesday. He performed the entirety of his 2020 breakout album, SuperGood, and gave each song new meaning by acting out a romantic night at the roller rink with his loved one. With bright outfits and beautiful people galore, … Continue reading Duckwrth’s “A SuperGood Night” [Concert Review]
Travis Scott’s Astroworld was released in the summer of 2018 to critical acclaim, lifting the star to elite status in the rap game and providing one of the biggest hit singles of the year, “Sicko Mode.” Sitting at 17 tracks and just under an hour of runtime, Astroworld immediately comes off as an album that was created to be a grand masterpiece, portraying the heart … Continue reading Looking Back: Does “Astroworld” Have Staying Power?
They have been lifted to the skies as the saviours of punk rock, but IDLES’ latest album for most of the time hits with brutality rather than intellect. Continue reading One Spalt Reviews: IDLES Hits Hard with Ultra Mono
Alicia Keys’s latest album was widely anticipated, but hasn’t exactly matched it’s expectations. Her beautiful voice was in full effect as usual, but it wasn’t enough to carry an entire album. Continue reading One Spalt Reviews: ALICIA Misses the Mark
Dos Monos is an experimental hip-hop group from Tokyo, with a roster including Zo Zhit, Taitanman, and Botsu, all of whom provide vocals and rap. Zo and Botsu also work on the production, which features a heavy amount of sampling. Their debut record Dos City, released via Deathbomb Arc (2019) saw them gain traction in Japanese and American markets and pushed them to receiving several … Continue reading (Four) Season’s Greetings from Dos Monos!
The DMV might not yet be in the conversation as far as hip-hop relevance nationwide, but with albums like Dayon Greene’s Me, which showcases some of the area’s best talent, it certainly will be soon. Me is a story of self-empowerment and growth. Greene, born and raised in the DMV, experiences heartbreak, sadness, questioning, and growth through confidence and self-assuredness on the album, which debuted … Continue reading Album Review: Dayon Greene Flexes, Develops on “Me”
