Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience 2 of 2

Reviewed by Max Hill

The 20/20 Experience 2 of 2, Justin Timberlake’s follow-up to his triumphant comeback album earlier this year, begins in media res. In contrast to part one, which slowly sunk its teeth in with the groovy opener “Pusher Love Girl,” Timberlake’s new LP doesn’t mince words — from the animalistic autotune of “Gimme What I Don’t Know (I Want)” to the eight bit afrobeat of “True Blood,” 2 of 2 wastes no time immersing its audience.

The albums are undeniably similar, and a little repetition is to be expected. After all, they’re intended as two halves of a whole — even if Timberlake waited to clarify this point until after part one had been released. Like The 20/20 Experience, Timberlake’s newest leaves no stone unturned, exploring every nook and cranny of each song to the point where the average track length is around seven minutes. It’s a dubious feat for a mainstream pop album, but Timberlake, as charming and suave as ever, is the perfect artist to pull it off.

Still, as the dust has begun to settle on Timberlake’s return to FM radio, 2 of 2 feels like a rehash that never convincingly argues for its own necessity. Sure, early single “Take Back the Night” is classic JT, and Drake’s featured verse on “Cabaret” is electrifying enough to blow Jay-Z’s phoned-in “Murder” guest spot out of the water, but the album retains all the issues of its predecessor — weak lyrics, unnecessary bloat, and a cheesy production.

Even though each song is impeccably performed, and the inevitable radio edits will be as easily digestible as anything in Timberlake’s catalogue, the album still fails to introduce anything new to the mix. For all of its shortcomings, part one could defend itself on the basis of years of Timberlake withdrawal; however 2 of 2 has no excuse.

Islands – Ski Mask

Reviewed by Morgan Berna

Nick Thorburn has always been a talented lyricist and musician — from his early days with The Unicorns, to his solo projects, and now his current band Islands — Thorburn’s ability to write catchy, imaginative songs has been a constant.

While the release of Islands’ previous album A Sleep & A Forgetting received underwhelming reviews, it was praised for its simple, heartfelt feel; the album was something different and that was appreciated. Having seen this album performed live, I can personally vouch for the incredible musical talent of all members in the band.

While it can be said that Islands is a great band with a creative lyricist, such talent was, unfortunately, not translated into their new album Ski Mask. Opener, “Wave Forms,” is the best track on the album but, being the first track one listens to, sets listeners up for a disappointment for the rest of the album. The songs that follow are no more than decent.

“Becoming the Gunship” begins with a cool drum beat, but dissolves into an overly simplistic melody. Other songs such as “Nill,” fall short under a weird Broadway-style tune. Overall the album has some interesting beats and decent lyrics, but ultimately nothing new.

If this had been Islands’ first album, the reviews would read better. However, because we’ve become used to a certain standard of excellence, it’s an overall disappointment to get an album that doesn’t feel like it had much thought put into it. Regardless of the overall letdown, Ski Mask is an easy listen for new fans, and old fans can just be happy Thorburn didn’t join another band, as he claimed he had on Twitter earlier this year.

Throwback: Radiohead – Kid A

Reviewed by Max Hill

With the release of Kid A, Radiohead tore themselves apart and rebuilt. As the dust settled on Y2K and the phrase “twenty-first century” started to lose its lustre, the Oxfordian quintet’s highly anticipated follow-up to OK Computer gave a world of new centurians a post-modern vocabulary through which they could express their thoughts, fears and predictions for the future that lay ahead of them.

Teeming with the tension of old world versus new — not unlike its predecessor — Kid A broke every rule in the book and came out unscathed on the other side. Thom Yorke’s extraterrestrial vocal modulations became as much of an instrument as Johnny Greenwood’s encrypted electric guitar or Phil Selway’s tin can drums. Impressionistic ambience shared the spotlight with acoustic balladry and pitch shifted electronica, and somehow it all came together as one cohesive whole.

Considering how gleefully Kid A stuck a wrench in the band’s own hype machine, its placement on Best Albums of the Decade lists — where, more often than not, it sits comfortably at the number one spot — surely has Yorke and company cracking a smile. The fact that it was released only three years after OK Computer, an album that garnered its own shared of hyperbolic accolades, has done wonders to solidify the Myth of Radiohead.

Kid A is ultimately an LP that couldn’t have happened were it not so eagerly anticipated. Radiohead reinvented themselves to the point of unrecognizability, and the result was not only their best and most fully realized work, but one that set the tone for the decade to come.

From its opening moments to the heartbreaking final notes of “Motion Picture Soundtrack,” Kid A is the sound of a future we’re currently in, an album that might be even more necessary now than the day it was released.