By: Neil MacAlister and Ivan Premovic
Teenage Emotions by Lil Yachty
Review by Neil MacAlister
Lil Yachty is a divisive figure in hip hop, a herald of the poorly-labelled ‘mumble rap’ trend, a threat to the old sensibilities of “real” rap. There’s no denying his influence on recent culture, however, and his debut project Lil Boat was something of a masterpiece, so hopes were high for his first official studio album. What he delivered, however, was a lengthy mixed bag. Tracks like “Lady in Yellow” and “No More” are practically unlistenable, the lyrics to “Priorities” are downright disturbing, and many more tracks were just simply mediocre. The content was consistently childish (which was probably the point, given the title), but what once made Yachty charmingly youthful has given way to sophomorically explicit and cringe-inducing punchlines. This album does, however, contain some of Yachty’s best work: “Say My Name” is relentlessly catchy, the Diplo-assisted “Forever Young” sounds ready for your high school graduation playlist, and the ‘80s revival in “Bring It Back” is Lil Yachty at his best. Teenage Emotions failed to live up to expectations, but Yachty’s always able to deliver a few wins among his losses.
United States of Horror by Ho99o9
Review by Ivan Premovic
New Jersey duo Ho99o9 (pronounced “horror”) has been at the forefront of the rap-punk scene since 2014, with several EPs, mixtapes, and singles already under their belt and they continue to do what they do best. The duo blends old-school hardcore punk with contemporary hip-hop trends to the effect of some hard hitting and visceral results. Tracks like “Sub-Zer0” and “City Rejects” are some of the most raw and compelling punk rock songs I’ve heard all year. Still, the dichotomy of the band is further reflected in the tracklist; tracks like “Splash” and “Hydrolics” seem to feature no prominent guitars, taking cues rather from trap music and southern hip hop. On their debut, Ho99o9 continues to effectively genre-bend, aiming to start a riot at every turn. I’d recommend it to any listener whose taste tends to stray into more hardcore genres.
All This I Do For Glory by Colin Stetson
Review by Ivan Premovic
Colin Stetson’s latest is pretty much run-of-the-mill for the master saxophonist at this point, but even run-of-the-mill from an artist as innovative as Stetson is worth celebrating. On this new album, Colin showcases his command of “circular breathing,” a technique that allows him to play an extended phrase continuously throughout the 6-, 7-, or even 13-minute long runtimes of his tracks. The layers of sound that are added are all done in one take, supposedly, without any loops or overdubs. That fact alone makes every track on this album a towering technical achievement. Stetson also laces his sax with mics, capturing all the clicks and clacks of his fingers hitting the sax in order to mimic percussion instruments, giving the record its rhythmic feel. The result is an ominous and hypnotizing listen, something you truly need to hear to believe. – IP
