By: Neil MacAlister and Alexander Kenny
T-Wayne by T-Pain, Lil Wayne
Review by Neil MacAlister
In 2008, T-Pain and Lil Wayne were at their peak. Both had just dropped massively successful albums (Thr33 Ringz and Tha Carter III, respectively) and chart-topping collaborations like “Got Money” and “Can’t Believe It.” This inspired the two artists to make an entire album together. After Wayne went to Rikers Island, the project ended up collecting dust somewhere in T-Pain’s hard drive, and fans accepted that T-Wayne had gone the same route as Dr. Dre’s Detox; that is, until T-Pain unexpectedly released it on May 18. Nine years after its creation, T-Wayne serves as a nostalgic reminder of why Teddy and Weezy once dominated the airwaves.
T-Pain is as fun and corny as you remember, with goofy punchlines and an unflinching, triumphant optimism; he has become something of a punchline in recent years, but there’s no denying his pop artistry. In 2009, Wayne was still at the height of his abilities, effortlessly weaving sophomoric jokes with deceptively brilliant writing. If for no other reason, check this out for the Oompa Loompa sample in “Listen to Me,” and to hear Wayne interpolate the American Pie chorus into a song about how many Chevys there are in Florida.
Poison the Parish by Seether
Review by Alexander Kenny
South African grunge rock band Seether is back at it again with their newly-released, long-anticipated album Poison the Parish. The album touts a strong mix of the heavy, hard-hitting tracks that have become synonymous with Seether, such as “Betray and Degrade,” “Let You Down,” and “Emotionless.” These follow the themes of much of Seether’s musical history which lies in inviting their listeners to relate to stories of anger, frustration, and feeling lost in life.
The album is smattered with tracks such as “Against the Wall” which offers a slower piece and a slight departure from their signature sound, while still containing the emotional content to keep listeners drawn to the music. As always, Shaun Morgan’s unmistakable, gritty vocals bring an energy which can only be identified as “definitely Seether” and he makes each track anything but emotionally boring. The wide array of qualities across the tracks in this album demonstrate why Seether is still one of the great remaining grunge rock bands, and a must-listen for any hard-rock fan.
