If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Lorde Album : Solar Power Quick Thoughts : Lorde has made some seriously iconic songs over the years, which makes Solar Power largely a confusing affair. It's not that the album is bad - in fact, on first listen, I might like it more than Melodrama - but that it's very unassuming. It gives a definitive inluenceresque summery vibe, and that was somewhat unexpected from someone who presents as a more oddball dark pop star. Regardless, this album is likely to be divisive, but put me fully on team Solar Power . Songs of Note : "Solar Power," "Stoned at the Nail Salon," "Secrets From a Girl (Who's Seen It All)" Artist : Warp Trio Album : Warp Trio's Pandemic Disco Fantasy Quick Thoughts : I'm pretty sure this contemporary classical act hit my radar thanks to the amount of Attacca Quartet I've been listening to, and this is apparently a concept record that goes along with a multimedia effort. The music, for what it...

Due to either Spotify delays, learning of acts later, or general incompetence, there are some solid albums we missed along the way. I figured I'd take a few minutes and highlight some of those releases and list the rest: Kanye West - The Life of Pablo : If Beyonce hype was #1 this year so far, Kanye was #1a. The story of this release is going to be in textbooks in ten years time, but taken as a cohesive, complete album, it's hard not to see this as the masterpiece it truly is. There are a lot of layers here (which is typical for a modern Kanye record), and this is definitely a more interesting and more accessible record than Yeezus was. Ultimately, though, all this album does is tell me that Kanye West is operating on a level far beyond most other musicians, never mind rappers, and this is something we might not be able to fully comprehend even if he mapped it out for us. This requires multiple listens to even begin to unlock, and I have a feeling this will end up on a ...