By: Neil MacAlister and Winona Young
Lust For Life by Lana Del Rey
In 2012, Born to Die introduced the world to Lana Del Rey, an artist who embraced nostalgia as much as innovation, who mixed small-town Americana with Hollywood hedonism. 2014’s Ultraviolence and 2015’s Honeymoon, however, were disappointing followups: they embraced her aesthetic, but failed to do anything musically interesting. Lust for Life, however, is the true spiritual successor to Born to Die. It’s Del Rey’s best work in years, which both harkens back to the artistry of her breakthrough and pushes her sound in a stronger and more exciting direction. Lust for Life is an empowering project which smiles in the face of turmoil, encouraging you to keep dancing while the world is at war. Del Rey embraces elements of hip hop that she’s abandoned since Born to Die, underlying lush pop ballads with trap drums and featuring collaborations with A$AP Rocky, the Weeknd, Metro Boomin, and even Playboi Carti (on ad lib duty for the excellent “Summer Bummer”). As an album, it has its high and low points (the last three songs kind of blend together), but it’s a wonderfully diverse project from an artist once again finding comfort in the sound she created. – NM
Nyck @ Knight by Nyck Caution, Kirk Knight
Pro Era is one of New York’s foremost rap collectives, a group of kids who pair a forward-thinking attitude with a deep-rooted respect for classic hip hop. Joey Bada$$, the collective’s de facto leader, has emerged as one of rap’s biggest names in recent years, but he’s far from the only talent Pro Era has to offer. Nyck Caution is one of the group’s most gifted rappers (as proven on last year’s Disguise the Limit mixtape), who delivers evocative storytelling with powerful aggression. Kirk Knight is not only Pro Era’s main in-house producer, but his 2015 debut Late Knight Special proved that he’s as excellent behind the mic as he is behind the boards. Their decision to join forces for a collaborative album, cleverly titled Nyck @ Knight (after the late-night Nickelodeon program), brought out the best in both artists. Kirk’s signature boom-bap production is absolutely on point, and both MCs are at the top of their game, whether they’re riding complex rhyme structures, crafting powerful street poetry, or working their samples into their verses the way Dipset used to. Nyck @ Knight is proof that the New York new school has a ton to offer. – NM
Planetarium by Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner, James McAlister
Planetarium is a cosmic, musical, epic of an album. Stevens provides vocals on the lyrically rich tracks, singing of mythology, science, astrology, and human nature. Tracks are named after planetary phenomena and the music both ebbs and flows in intensity and mood. The album’s first song “Neptune” is borderline cinematic — like a fusion of the soundtracks of a Kubrick film and Chrono Cross. The orchestrations are sweeping and grand, capturing the sense of awe one would feel while witnessing the cosmos. Transitioning then to a futuristic, almost unsettling atmosphere. With the electronics, the sound becomes more disjointed. The tone of existential dread is palpable in songs like “Black Energy” and “Sun.” The album ultimately arrives at a peaceful note; Planetarium’s final and most famous track, “Mercury,” stands as an ethereal and intimate song that showcases the strength of the artists’ collaboration. Overall, this concert-turned-collaborative album creates both a vibrant and eclectic aural experience. – WY
