Album Review: Friends That Break Your Heart - James Blake

Two years after the release of his critically-acclaimed album Assume Form, James Blake has returned with his highly-anticipated album Friends That Break Your Heart. Blake’s 2019 project was a vessel used to experiment with his sound, vocals, and aesthetic, working with collaborators such as Travis Scott and Andre 3000 to create an understated hip-hop spin on his usual style. Friends That Break Your Heart follows in the footsteps that Assume Form planted, allowing Blake to further refine his delivery with sharpened production, sophisticated instrumentation, and more compelling subject matter than ever before.

Blake, whose previous project centered mainly around self-reflection and introspection, decides to discuss and examine relationships with those closest to him on this project. The complex, lasting effects that the people in Blake’s life have had on him are evident and all too relatable in his lyricism. “Life Is Not The Same” is the first of many heart-wrenching lamentations of connections lost, with a disorienting and swirling trap instrumental that offers the listener no solace from Blake’s heartfelt delivery.

There are few collaborators on this project, but those who are featured alongside Blake are done so effectively and memorably. “Coming Back (feat. SZA)” uses SZA’z vocal abilities seamlessly, and the low-key banger evolves into its second half, featuring echoey and haunting vocals from both artists. After the lonesome and depressing “Funeral”, Blake utilizes Atlanta rappers JID and SwaVay on “Frozen”, one of the most immediately memorable tracks on the project. A unique beat paves the way for hard-hitting bass and well-written verses from the featured rappers here. This song also uses vocal manipulation, which sometimes bothers me, but that instead works very well here.

“I’m So Blessed You’re Mine” is a bit of a Frankenstein’s monster of a track, never fully realizing its identity and instead continually morphing from genre to genre. This experimentation isn’t to the song’s detriment, though; instead, it demonstrates Blake’s continued willingness to experiment, leave his comfort zone, and adapt to new styles. The following “Foot Forward” features production from the legendary Metro Boomin’, whose esoteric and bouncy beat is addictive as usual — this is one of Blake’s smoothest tracks yet.

“Show Me” is a beautiful, heartbreaking duet featuring contributions from artist Monica Martin, whose vocals complement Blake’s dazzlingly. The track discusses observing growth from previous partners, which is an incredibly mature and bittersweet topic that indicates Blake’s growth. “Say What You Will” is one of the most touching and sonically wonderous tracks on the project, as Blake reflects on the self-love he’s cultivated despite the negativity he’s been shown throughout his life from others. Again, it can’t be emphasized enough how spectacular Blake’s vocal performances are throughout this project, and this ballad is no exception.

“Lost Angel Nights” contemplates missed opportunities and trying to endlessly reinvent oneself to remain relevant, especially in such an unforgiving and forgetting industry. These contemplative themes flow naturally into the penultimate title track which really is revolutionary, subverting the typical topic of romantic relationships failing, and instead discussing the tragedy of long-term platonic relationships coming to meet ill fates. This track’s acoustic backing and solemn vocal delivery are truly haunting and tear-jerking to the point that I just want to give Blake a hug. Blake continues his tradition of closing with understated tracks with the final moment “If I’m Insecure”, a beautiful contemplation of love in the middle of all-encompassing misery, something he likens to where we are after recent events, closing the album on a very high note.

The complexity, material richness, and memorability of this album’s back half are some of Blake’s best work yet. As he continues to grow as an artist and as a person, the depictions of the ethereal and relatable reflections he partakes in continue to mature as well, leading to truly cathartic and repeatable listening experiences. Beautiful from beginning to end with only small bumps along the way, Friends That Break Your Heart is exactly what I had hoped for from James Blake, and I highly suggest you give it a listen.

Favorite tracks: “Famous Last Words”, “Coming Back (feat. SZA)”, “Frozen (feat. JID and SwaVay)”, “Foot Forward”, “Show Me (feat. Monica Martin)”, “Say What You Will”, “Friends That Break Your Heart”, “If I’m Insecure”

SCORE: 7/10

Top Albums Of 2020

This agonizingly difficult year is finally coming to an end. Twelve months of worldwide struggle, strife, and angst does have a silver lining, however, which was the great music that resulted from the tumultuous chaos we’ve been navigating. Today, one of my most highly anticipated days of the year, is when I’ll be listing my top albums of 2020.

I need to first list the honorable mentions that didn’t quite crack my top ten. These were all great records that stood out for one reason or another but were just slightly outshined by some of their competitors. SAWAYAMA - Rina Sawayama (8/10) is able to add her own twist to a somewhat oversaturated pop genre, offering sometimes aggressive instrumentation that fits her confident attitude. Future Nostalgia - Dua Lipa (8/10) is one of this year’s most innovative pop albums with back-to-back futuristic hits. Shore - Fleet Foxes (8/10) is a wonderfully complex and textured album that reflects on the times we’re living through beautifully. Starting Over - Chris Stapleton (8/10) proves why this famed country singer has established himself as the king of country music. Alfredo - Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist (8/10) is a stellar and smooth rap record that drips confidence, but remains self-reflective. Reunions - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (7/10) provides hit after hit of country blues tracks that highlight Isbell’s lyrical abilities. Folklore - Taylor Swift (7/10) takes this pop megastar into completely uncharted territories, which she navigates swimmingly. Positions - Ariana Grande (7/10) shows a matured yet playful side of Grande that I can’t wait to see grow even more. Saint Cloud - Waxahatchee (7/10) is a Dylan-esque country meditation with hypnotic melodies. Finally, The Slow Rush - Tame Impala (7/10) demonstrates yet again the kind of musical genius Kevin Parker proves himself to be. All of these albums are a part of my permanent library, but the next ten are the albums that defined this year for me. With that being said, let’s get into it.

10. The New Abnormal - The Strokes (8/10)

Manhattan’s own beloved indie rock band The Strokes return to form with their most exciting release in years. The New Abnormal aggregates the band’s best qualities into a compact track list that doesn’t disappoint. Julian Casablanca’s signature vocal delivery returns me to the band’s classics like “Reptilia”, and tracks like “The Adults Are Talking”, “Selfless”, and “At The Door” are some of the group’s best ever. A great album that just cracks the top ten for the year.

9. What’s Your Pleasure? - Jessie Ware (8/10)

Riding the disco synthpop wave that has ingratiated itself into the genre, coming full circle from the 1980s, Jessie Ware jampacked this album with excellent tracks. I’m not much of a dancer — who am I kidding? I never dance — but songs like “Ooh La La” and “Soul Control” do just what their titles suggest. The production, lyrical performance, and instrumentation are impressive, but more importantly consistent, all throughout this spectacular and glamorous record.

8. how i’m feeling now - Charli XCX (8/10)

I knew it would be an uphill battle for Charlie XCX to top last year’s magnum opus Charli, which was my second favorite album of 2019. When I found out that she was not only releasing another album so soon but doing so in quarantine made me apprehensive. how i’m feeling now, while not as squeaky clean as its predecessor, does exactly what it set out to do by creating a playlist for partying in isolation. This optimistic album reinforces that Charli is continuing her reign as one of my favorite artists right now. Great stuff.

7. Punisher - Phoebe Bridgers (8/10)

Punisher is an emotionally complex album for me. Bridgers’ dry sarcasm and heartbreakingly relatable insights glide over largely ambient instrumentals. This pent up emotion culminates in the album’s closing track “I Know The End”, though, one of my favorite closers in the past few years. This is often the album I have turned to for times of quiet contemplation, and because of that, it’s one of my favorite albums of the year.

6. After Hours - The Weeknd (8/10)

I’ll address this once: It’s complete and utter bullshit that The Weeknd received zero Grammy nominations for or related to this album. After Hours is inarguably, to me, Abel’s best work by far. Instead of trying something completely new, he was able to refine his sound down to its essence, utilizing the best aspects of each of his eras to create a matured, nostalgic, and just plain catchy album. Every song has something unique to offer, and tracks like “Blinding Lights” and “In Your Eyes” are smash-hits. Looking forward to his Super Bowl performance - he earned it with this record.

5. Visions of Bodies Being Burned - clipping. (9/10)

A perfect sequel to the psychological thriller that was last year’s There Existed an Addition to Blood, Visions of Bodies Being Burned is another stellar offering from Daveed Diggs and company. Incorporating horror movie elements is magnetizing to a Halloween-head like me, and they do it so well on this album. In some ways, this record is better than the first installation. The continually developing instrumental backing is thoroughly impressive, and Daveed Diggs continues to become one of my favorite Jack of all trades rappers. Fantastic project.

4. Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez - Gorillaz (9/10)

At long last — a damn near perfect Gorillaz album. Damon Albarn has finally recaptured the essence of the Gorillaz who I grew to love and appreciate with albums like Demon Days and Plastic Beach. Features are implemented amazingly, pairing dissimilar artists together seamlessly. Some of the songs here, like “Pac-Man (feat. ScHoolboy Q)” and “Aries (feat. Peter Hook and Georgia)” are some of my favorites in Gorillaz’ entire discography. I hope there’s more where this project came from because it is dynamic and reawakens the spirit that makes this band who they are.

3. Song For Our Daughter - Laura Marling (9/10)

Laura Marling’s gentle but potent delivery makes Song For Our Daughter one of the most emotionally resonant listens of the year for me. Fun at times, sad at others, and impressive from beginning to end, this singer-songwriter record is magnificent in its composition and execution. Marling’s vocal performance here is one of my favorites of the year. Heartfelt and touching, this is a fantastic project that I imagine will age very well in the coming years.

2. RTJ4 - Run The Jewels (9/10)

Killer Mike and El-P are the epitome of a dynamic duo. They’re certainly no strangers to hard-hitting and timely bars, and RTJ4 is no exception. A lot of the subject matter written here, particularly relating to racial tensions and relations, is unsettlingly relevant, especially since it was written before this year’s racial protests. This proves that these issues have been long-lasting and systemic, not simply a new trend. A track like “walking in the snow”, my favorite song of the year, is so effective because it speaks to the moment. As soon as Killer Mike’s verse started for the first time, I knew I was in for something bone-chilling and masterfully crafted. Most of this album is just that. Any other year, RTJ4 would likely take home the top prize and number one spot. This year, however, there was one record that outshined this stellar project…

1. Fetch The Bolt Cutters - Fiona Apple (10/10)

Truly incredible music meets the moment and brings something new to the table. On Fetch The Bolt Cutters, Fiona Apple is able to reach a place in my mind that had gone untouched up until that point. On this record, we are reminded to put one foot in front of the other no matter how challenging and insurmountable the circumstances may seem. The unabashed vulnerability of Apple’s vocal performance on this album, both aggressive and submissive at different times, are examples of pure artistic expression. The curtain is pulled back, and I am able to witness Apple’s reality as if it were my own for this album’s 51-minute runtime. Released at the height of the COVID-19 lockdowns, the sentiment of cutting one’s self out of their imposed box was perfect for the moment. That time allowed for vast introspection, too, which this project doesn’t shy away from indulging in. There simply is no music that sounds like Fetch The Bolt Cutters, and there may never be again. Nearly perfect from beginning to end, this is my favorite album of the year.

I grappled with this year’s rankings almost every day until recently coming to a final list I am satisfied with. Music was one of the best things to come out of an otherwise very challenging year. This is just my opinion and preference, but I highly suggest that you check out the albums I discussed here, including the honorable mentions. Thanks for reading! Also, here’s a Spotify playlist of my favorite songs from the albums featured in this post.

Album Review: MAGDALENE - FKA twigs

2019 is continuing to prove to be an extremely strong year when it comes to musical releases. After hearing lots of buzz online about FKA twigs’ newest singles for her upcoming album MAGDALENE, I decided to check it out upon its release. I’m glad I did, as this project has already secured a spot on my top 10 projects of the year. Let me break down why I enjoyed it as much as I did.

First of all, I’m entirely pleased that there has been such a healthy offering of amazing projects from strong female voices this year. The Highwomen, Billie Eilish, Lana Del Rey, Ariana Grande, Little Simz, Lizzo, Charli XCX, and now FKA twigs have released fantastic projects, and MAGDALENE is no exception. Its innovativeness and originality is hypnotizing, and FKA twigs is a siren with alluring vocals on almost every track. Her vocal ability is one of the album’s biggest appeals and a conduit for the introspective storytelling that takes place here. The production is simply fantastic, as well, and unlike anything I’ve heard before.

I’m a big fan of experimentation, and I was glad to find out that FKA twigs is not afraid to take risks. Tracks like “fallen alien” immediately catch my attention because they abandon traditional structure in order to convey a feeling not available through the norms of songwriting. I’ve been trying to compare this album to the sounds of other artists, and I’m having trouble doing so, which I think is a good thing. Bjork and James Blake have some sonic similarities, but no where near the emotional vulnerability of FKA twigs on this album. Some of the songs could’ve used slightly more direction and intent, but that doesn’t take away from this project too much for me.

I hadn’t kept up to date with the lead-up to this album, and didn’t listen to any of the singles beforehand, so I got to experience this project for the first time in its entirety. It was a very emotional and chilling listen for me, and that novelty hasn’t worn off even after multiple listens. FKA twigs is now on my radar, and MAGDALENE is one of my favorite albums of the year. Great stuff, go give it a listen.

Best tracks: “thousand eyes”, “home with you”, “holy terrain (ft. Future)”, “mary magdalene”, “fallen alien”, “cellophane”

Worst tracks: “sad day”

Score: 7/10

Why I, A Non-Musician, Wrote An Album

I like to push myself creatively.

Over the years, I’ve taken lessons in a variety of instruments including guitar, piano, and getting so good at Guitar Hero that I was winning city-wide tournaments at 10 years old. None of those really stuck (except for some reason I can still shred some Guitar Hero), but I still think of consuming and listening to music carefully and critically as a beloved hobby of mine. Recently, I’ve been infatuated with artists who are willing to open up and share stories of their personal struggles, which is different from the version of me who used to avoid that kind of soul-searching and sharing. I’ve been so interested in it, in fact, that I decided to go about some of it myself.

I wanted to write about something both relatable and true to me. As someone who suffers from sometimes severe anxiety, I decided that the collections of “songs” I was to put together would tell the story, from beginning to end, of when I have an anxiety attack. These attacks give me tunnel vision, like a vignette on a picture, but nothing is clear as everything is shaky and chaotic. The title of my album would be called A Vignette Swarming, which is an artistic description of one of my anxiety attacks.

I wrote song titles that allowed me to put my undeveloped songwriting skills to the test, such as the opening track that sets the stage “Storm’s Rolling In”, the revealing and admittedly depressing “Hitchhiker’s Thumb”, the sentimental “Keep The Good Ones Close”, and the happy ending “Not A Cloud In The Sky”. At 13 tracks in total, I was comfortable with the length of this project. I’m very familiar with basic song structure because I listen to so much music, so the only difficult part was artistically conveying the lyrics and ideas that I wanted to get across. I worked on this project on my phone from time to time, until eventually I had complete lyrics and a developed tune for every “song” on the project.

That’s where I am now. I have a fully written “album” of 13 tracks packed full of personal, introspective, and revealing lyrics and accompanying mental tunes. I also don’t have much knowledge as to how to put together a nice-sounding song, and certainly don’t have the singing voice I’d love to have, but maybe that will come one day (the instrumental part - certainly not the singing barring a miracle.)

This little project perhaps is not complete, but has been a very relaxing and transformative hobby for a couple of months. I encourage everyone to push themselves creatively, to make something out of nothing, and to tackle the biggest battles you fight every day head on, embracing them for what they are and making something beautiful out of them. Not every beast has to be defeated (some are perpetual, and that’s okay), but they should all help you grow in one way or another.

Maybe one day I’ll be sharing with you a Spotify link to a fully mixed and mastered project of mine… who knows. Maybe I will adapt these “songs” into short stories, I’m not sure. But I’m happy with where it is now, and I just wanted to share. Thanks for reading.

Album Review: GINGER - BROCKHAMPTON

The self-proclaimed “hardest working boyband” has returned to releasing music with their long-awaited album GINGER. After what was a transitional period for the group musically and personally around the release of their previous project IRIDESCENCE, BROCKHAMPTON has returned to address some the controversies that could’ve easily torn them apart.

To fully appreciate the importance of this album, you need to be familiarized with BROCKHAMPTON as a group and with the drama they’ve collectively been through. The rap group formed after meeting on internet forum kanyetothe.com in 2015. Shortly after meeting, the group moved into a house together and started making music. The group took the internet and hip-hop community by storm after releasing the SATURATION Trilogy, which consisted of three outstanding albums within the same year (2017). After finding success, allegations of sexual misconduct came out against one of the group’s biggest members Ameer Vann. These allegations, along with other personal drama stemming from Vann, lead the rest of the group to elect to kick him out of the group. This sort of decision clearly wasn’t an easy one for the group, but in their mind, it had to be done. IRIDESCENCE, the first album of BROCKHAMPTON’s that came after the Vann incident, was chaotic and disjointed in many ways. It was evident that there was emotional pressure on the group, and they still needed time to process what they had been through. GINGER is the opposite of IRIDESCENCE in many ways, and it is a project about embracing those around you who are still there after shared trauma. This is an amazing project.

What makes BROCKHAMPTON special is getting to know the personalities of all of its members. Whether you prefer Joba, Matt Champion, Kevin Abstract, or Bearface most, every artist has a unique style to contribute, and collectively their stories are greater than the sum of their parts. Having what feels like a connection to this group after getting to know and love their music over the past years makes their emotional rawness throughout this project so powerful. Each member shares their experience over the last year, and each is different - Joba turning to religion, Dom still feeling resentment and anger for the person who betrayed him which comes to a tipping point during the bone-chilling “DEARLY DEPARTED”, or Matt Champion’s reservations to completely blame Ameer altogether. At the beginning of this album, even apparent in its opening lines, it’s clear that the group is lost, but by the end, they are embracing and thankful that they still have each other.

This album is forever going to be cemented as a defining moment in BROCKHAMPTON’s discography. While it isn’t the lightning in a bottle that the SATURATION Trilogy was, this album is powerful thematically while still providing countless catchy hooks, impressive instrumentation, and some of the best tracks I’ve heard in a long time, specifically “SUGAR” which is just fantastic. I laid out the criteria for what defined a perfect score from me in a previous blog post, which basically states that a perfect score means that I wouldn’t change a single thing about the project. There are only some small tweaks I’d make to GINGER. It does exactly what it set out to do, and does so in glorious style. This is a must-listen, and my current album of the year (always subject to change).

Favorite Tracks: “SUGAR”, “DEARLY DEPARTED”, “VICTOR ROBERTS”

Least Favorite Track: “LOVE ME FOR LIFE”

SCORE: 8/10