Album Review: The Off-Season - J. Cole

Fayetteville, North Carolina native J. Cole has established himself as one of the strongest rappers in the genre’s modern era. The self-described “middle child” of hip-hop, Cole embodies the aesthetics of modern styles while staying true to the roots of rap. The result of this dedication is a philosophical, lyrically talented artist with well-produced beats and a contemporary delivery. In the lead-up to The Off-Season, Cole released two singles and a viral freestyle on LA Leakers, along with a mini-documentary that captured the recording process for this newest project. These teasers had fans excited, expecting Cole to return to form and to deliver one of his strongest albums yet. Luckily, that is exactly what we received, as this 12 track offering clearly demonstrates Cole’s maturation and growth as an artist with many great songs to choose from.

Cole wastes no time setting the stage for things to come with the project’s opening track “9 5 . s o u t h”, which features lyrical accompaniments from Cam’ron and Lil Jon. A hard-hitting bass pairs well with Cole as he spits bar after bar, introducing the audience to his newly refined and intricate skills. The one-liners are strong right off the bat, with “Krispy Kreme dreams, sometimes my dogs wanna kill 12” standing out. “a m a r i” is a strong second song, featuring more of a modern and casual delivery style from Cole who still comes off as hungry. Again, we see him switch things up with autotuned and sung sections throughout. “m y . l i f e (with 21 Savage & Morray)” is one of my favorites on the album, utilizing its features incredibly well. The instrumental here reminds me of 21 Savage’s “a lot”, and goes very smoothly with his verse. Each artist discusses the benefits of persevering through hardship, which is something both of them have had to do throughout their careers and lives.

“a p p l y i n g . p r e s s u r e” sees Cole reflecting on the insincerity of rappers who tout false wealth through material goods without having the funds to justify them. The instrumental is somewhat one-dimensional here for me, so I’m glad this track is less than 3 minutes long. “p u n c h i n ‘ . t h e . c l o c k” is another short track that lets Cole discuss the many hours he has put into his craft, featuring an audio soundbite of a Damian Lillard interview, which is one of the many basketball references found throughout the album. This makes sense considering that Cole is now playing basketball professionally in Africa. “1 0 0 . m i. l ‘ (with Bas)” features Cole reflecting on how far his music has come despite his previous successes, which haven’t discouraged him from still always refining what he does best.

“p r i d e . i s . t h e . d e v i l . (with Lil Baby)” is one of my favorite songs on the album, featuring the same instrumental as Aminé’s “Can’t Decide”. As the title suggests, this song discusses the damaging nature of pride in different social environments. The transitional handoff to Lil Baby’s feature is seamless and thoroughly impressive, as he becomes one of my favorite feature artists as of late. “l e t . g o . m y . h a n d . (with Bas & 6LACK) is one of the most substantively mature songs on the project, echoing the themes of “4 Your Eyez Only”. Cole reflects on his doubts and fears, and what it’s like to be the father of a Black son in America. This is another great track.

We heard the next two songs before the album’s release, and luckily “i n t e r l u d e” and “t h e . c l i m b . b a c k” still hold up well in the project’s tracklisting. “c l o s e” reflects on a friend who fell into the pitfalls of drugs, but unfortunately this track is less than memorable to me for some reason - something’s missing on the penultimate song. Finally, the closer “h u n g e r . o n . h i l l s i d e (with Bas)” ties up any loose ends wonderfully. Here, Cole declares that he will always be the same person no matter how far his artistic career takes him. Bas closes the project with fantastic contributions, and Cole’s hard work proves paid off.

The Off-Season is a lot of what I wanted from a new J. Cole project. He has clearly reflected on what works for him as an artist, refining and practicing his craft to produce introspective, hard-hitting songs with lyrical depth and complexity and mass appeal, but there is still room to grow. It seems that he will soon be dedicating more of his time to pursuing other forms of expression besides rap, but I don’t think this is Cole’s final project. I highly suggest that you check this album out, as it’s my favorite of his since 2014 Forrest Hills Drive.

Favorite tracks: “9 5 . s o u t h”, “a m a r i”, “m y . l i f e (with 21 Savage & Morray)”, “a p p l y i n g . p r e s s u r e”, “1 0 0 . m i l ‘ (with Bas)”, “p r i d e . i s . t h e . d e v i l (with Lil Baby)”, “l e t . g o . m y . h a n d (with Bas & 6LACK)”, “i n t e r l u d e”, “h u n g e r . o n . h i l l s i d e (with Bas)”

SCORE: 7/10

Album Review: Chemtrails Over The Country Club - Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey caught me off guard with the release of her 2019 album Norman Fucking Rockwell!. Refined, atmospheric, and poetically-written, NFR was a significant departure from the pop influence that made Del Rey’s earlier projects like Ultraviolence and Lust For Life such smash hits. I was a bit wary when I heard she was soon releasing new music, as I somewhat expected Del Rey to return to a mainstream sound with more accessible and radio-friendly songwriting. Luckily, the opposite is true. Chemtrails Over The Country Club is another step closer toward traditional indie songwriting, with minimal and acoustic production supporting potent and beautiful lyrical refrains. I had high hopes for this album, and I’m glad to say they were exceeded.

“White Dress” has a tough competitor in the title-track opener from her previous album, which immediately grabbed the listener’s attention with the introductory lyrics of “God damn man child, you fucked me so good that I almost said “I love you.’” “White Dress” isn’t immediately as gripping in terms of its lyrical content, but instead because of its delivery. Del Rey’s vocal style is more raw and emotional than ever before - a clear intentional decision to go into her upper register to deliver passionate but gentle lyrics about her past and her nostalgia for life before fame. The references to the color white denote a symbol of her perceived purity before falling into the scrutiny of the public eye, which she’ll now never be able to escape. The subject matter of this album is immediately reflective and powerful. This opener is followed by the title track, which was also one of the lead singles in the lead-up to this project. The eery contrast of chemtrails, which have previously been associated with conspiracy theories and paranoia, and a country club, which is often associated with relaxing and familial themes, evokes a sense of unease that pairs perfectly with the production from Jack Antonoff found throughout this album. I love the drum cymbal ending which quietly wraps this track up, sending us into another highlight.

“Tulsa Jesus Freak” feels like a song a long-time in the making, which makes sense when understanding that the chorus refrain of “white-hot forever” was originally going to be the title of this album. Del Rey’s vocal delivery is more recognizable and in her traditional style, but that doesn’t stop her from creatively implementing artistic approaches like the inclusion of background sound effects or tasteful autotune. Overall, this is a really great song. “Let Me Love You Like A Woman” follows, and this single fits very well into the tracklisting. This piano-backed ballad packs thoughtful and sentimental lyrics one after another until its instrumentation builds for a slightly more energetic conclusion. The vocal harmonizing is killer, as well. “Wild At Heart” explores the passions of a loving relationship that allows Del Rey to be exactly who she is and no one less. The chorus and verses intermingle with one another perfectly, and I’m reminded of how skilled of a songwriter Del Rey truly is.

“Dark But Just A Game” again explores the intricacies and difficulties that fame has forced upon Del Rey, who herself has often been in the public eye for questionable opinions and problematic statements. I feel more sympathy for her in this regard after tracks like this - it seems like she’s always coming from a good place, but that her words are often misconstrued. The chorus and verses transition masterfully, and Del Rey’s introspection continues to impress me. “Not All Who Wanted Are Lost” is one of the more straightforward tracks on the album, allowing for Del Rey to flex her vocal and harmonizing abilities while reflecting on her urges to simply explore. Her unconventional and untraditional lifestyle should be considered successful despite being much less rigid than most - an idea that seems well-explored from the singer.

“Yosemite” features a quick-paced and strong acoustic backing and explores the evergreen nature of truly healthy and successful relationships. Del Rey’s wordplay is absolutely incredible here as she finds the best ways to say things in the simplest ways. It seems that to her, a good relationship stems from being in it for all of the right reasons, which is something I can agree with. “Breaking Up Slowly” features an uncredited Nikki Lane who co-wrote the track with Del Rey. This track sounds nice but is a bit of a sonic and thematic departure from the fantastic tracks coming before it. Because of this, I wish it had instead been scrapped and released as a single. “Dance Till We Die” is a sweet homage to famous songwriters who paved the way for Del Rey to get to the level of success she has achieved. Tracks like this always impress me because of their humility. The final track, “For Free”, is a cover of one of the artists referenced in the song prior: Joni Mitchell. It features Zella Day and Weyes Blood, who I was ecstatic to see on the tracklisting. The cover chosen here was very clever and fitting stylistically, and the accompanying vocals mirror Del Rey’s perfectly. I adore anything Weyes Blood touches, so it’s safe to say that this familiar-sounding closer sat right with me. Suddenly the album is over, and Del Rey has delivered another fantastic project.

The change in sound from her last two albums is starting to feel more like a maturation than an anomaly. Lana Del Rey has solidified her signature sound and lyrical content and is now using that strong foundation to explore more universal but introspective concepts that make for great projects. Even more mature and refined than NFR’s still innocent sound, Chemtrails Over The Country Club is one of my favorite Lana Del Rey projects yet - and it still doesn’t feel like the peak of her potential.

Favorite tracks: “White Dress”, “Chemtrails Over The Country Club”, “Tulsa Jesus Freak”, “Let Me Love You Like A Woman”, “Wild At Heart”, “Dark But Just A Game”, “Not All Who Wander Are Lost”, “For Free”

SCORE: Light 7/10

Album Review: Shore - Fleet Foxes

Seattle based folk band Fleet Foxes suddenly released their newest album Shore on September 22nd to fittingly coincide with the autumnal equinox. The release came as a welcome surprise for fans who have been patiently waiting to see what would follow the group’s 2017 album Crack-Up. The newest offering demonstrates maturity, refinement, and a blend of all of the group’s previous sounds, which in all, completely exceeded my expectations. Lead singer Robin Pecknold and company simply can’t miss.

The album’s first track opens with vocals from Uwade Akhere and sets the tone of what’s to come in the tracklisting. “Wading in Waist-High Water” is a peaceful, end-of-summer reflection which presents a calm energy and atmosphere that the rest of the project finds comfort soaking in. “Sunblind” picks up the pace with the instantly recognizable vocals from Pecknold. This track beautifully pays homage to the artists who have passed away but who continue to inspire and influence Fleet Foxes as a group. “Can I Believe You” is a vulnerable and earnest song with a catchy and simple chorus. This track’s vocal backing is largely made up of Pecknold’s Instagram followers who sent in audio clips of their singing, which I found very interesting. The record opens strongly and just doesn’t stop impressing.

“Jara” pays homage to Chilean folk singer Victor Jara while also reflecting on the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, unpacking the injustice it has exposed. This track loops very rhythmically, continuing the faster pace for the group and different from previous albums Helplessness Blues or Crack-Up. “Featherweight” is lighter on its feet with very little drum backing and a gentle vocal refrain from Pecknold. This track focuses on the recognition of privilege, especially after being exposed to the many downfalls of society in the past year. Not only is this one of my favorite songs on the album, it’s one of my favorites in Fleet Foxes’ discography. “A Long Way Past the Past” doesn’t sound nearly as emotionally compelling as its lyrical content proves upon deeper analysis, as this track discusses living life attached to one’s past and memories. The nostalgic sound offered here adds another layer of meaning and complexity on a second listen. At this point in the tracklist, the band hasn’t missed.

And with “For A Week Or Two”, they don’t break that streak. This track reflects on becoming one with nature; escaping the hustle of urban life to once again feel a connection to the natural world. This beautiful track transitions perfectly into “Maestranza” which reflects on the communal struggle with recent events and on isolation itself. “Young Man’s Game” focuses on the naivety of childhood, specifically boyhood, with an upbeat tempo, even featuring kids singing as the track closes out. This is the first hiccup in the tracklist for me, because for some reason the lyrical content, instrumentation, and vocal delivery just don’t mesh perfectly with one another. This is redeemed by the following “I’m Not My Season”, however, which heartbreakingly and relatably reminds us that the circumstances we find ourselves in don’t and should never define us. I hear Josh Tillman’s vocal influence here, which is appropriate as he used to play drums for the group before releasing music under the name Father John Misty. This idea of us not being our experiences is so simple but so profound, and it is communicated beautifully by Pecknold.

“Quiet Air / Gioia” the the unsettling and ominous story of anticipating some great misfortune beyond one’s control. Pecknold has explained how climate change was on his mind when crafting this song, which eerily makes almost too much sense. “Going-to-the-Sun Road” is a beautiful but downtrodden recounting of wanderlust met with the acceptance of one’s eternal limitations. Just like most of the tracks on this album, this song builds gorgeously and culminates to create a perfectly painted picture for its listener.

“Thymia” is a short but wondrous track which explains the feeling of inner inspiration and compelling to one’s calling. It also transitions appropriately into the next song “Cradling Mother, Cradling Woman”, the album’s penultimate track which likens passion (music in Pecknold’s case) to a nurturing force which brings one internal sustenance. This track isn’t as sonically compelling as others on the album, but I enjoy it nonetheless. The project closes with the title track “Shore” which serves as a thematic epilogue, closing up the few loose ends the album has to offer. Once again, this song pays homage to inspirations and finds comfort in the uncertainty of what the future may have to offer - an excellent closure to a great album.

It will be fascinating to see how artists internalize the times we’re living through and how their experiences are reflected in their art. In Fleet Foxes’ case, the struggles being faced by all recently have been meditated to the point of being able to be consumed as harmonic, resonant, and relatable songs which combine the previous elements that popularized the band in the first place. While there are slight imperfections throughout, Fleet Foxes' Shore is still a must-listen and one of my favorite albums of the year so far. Thanks for reading.

Favorite tracks: “Wading in Waist-High Water”, “Sunblind”, “Can I Believe You”, “Jara”, “Featherweight”, “A Long Way Past the Past”, “For A Week Or Two”, “Maestranza”, “I’m Not My Season”, “Quiet Air / Gioia”, “Going-to-the-Sun Road”, “Thymia”, “Shore”

Score: 8/10

A New (To Me) Way To Listen To Music

We’re fully immersed in a new era of music that is most easily defined by one thing: digital streaming. Music services such as Spotify, Apple Music, and others make it easy for artists to spread their projects to the masses, and for listeners to easily access the latest, hottest bops. One underrated component of streaming services that I hadn’t taken advantage of until recently is the playlist. Being able to group similar tracks together to create a coherent mood and sound has always been nice, but recently I’ve been doing something new: creating “Best of…” playlists for each of my favorite artists in which I put all of my favorite songs of theirs.

No more skipping. No more “Ugh, not this one!” Every single song that I include in a particular artist’s “Best of…” playlist is a song that I’m entirely willing and excited to listen to every single time. I’m able to throw these playlists on shuffle and not worry about dealing with what’s playing for as long as I’ll listen. This is revolutionizing the way I listen to music. Not really, but it’s cool.

I’m sure that you’ve known about and done this for a long time. There are probably lots of downsides to how I do things, too, for example not being exposed to new music and not being able to broaden my horizons by revisiting tracks I once deemed unworthy. I don’t mind it - it’s working for me for now and I figured I’d let you in on it in case this new strategy appeals to you, too.

You can check out my Spotify profile here which features all of my “Best of…” playlists, which so far include the likes of BROCKHAMPTON, Father John Misty, Fleetwood Mac, and many more. Thanks for reading - now go listen!

Album Review: No.6 Collaborations Project - Ed Sheeran

Two years after his critically acclaimed and commercially successful album Divide (÷), Ed Sheeran returns to the new music listings with a highly collaborative album, which seems to have been in development for quite some time. After what was to me a complete flop in DJ Khaled’s recent album Father Of Asahd, I was very hesitant in hoping for anything better than average from this Sheeran project. While it’s far from perfect, this album did more of what Khaled set out to do than he was able to, and I can see quite a few of these tracks getting lots of radio play and social media praise.

What makes collaborative albums so difficult for many artists is managing the cohesiveness of the entire project despite showcasing so many featured artists ranging in genre, mood, and sound. Referencing the fact that this is a collaborative project in the album’s title was a smart move, in my opinion, because there is very little sonic similarity from track to track. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but instead of being one continuous project, it can come off as a bit of choppy at times. The order of the track listing also doesn’t make sense at times, either, like the sudden transition from “Take Me Back to London” which is a rap banger featuring a hard-hitting Stormzy, to a heart-felt ballad in “Best Part of Me” featuring YEBBA. The sudden changes in mood could’ve been avoided by pairing more similar tracks together throughout; a simple change that could’ve really improved the assembly of this project instead of sounding as shuffled as it does.

This album is very lyrically generic and radio-friendly, and again that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but also isn’t ideal to me. Many of the tracks will get the plays and streams needed to perpetuate a pop-genre that is becoming more and more polished and less and less experimental in nature. It even at times feel like some of the songs on this project were generated by an AI which listened to every popular radio-hit in recent memory and was told to make songs of its own. I’m looking at you, “I Don’t Care" (with Justin Bieber) - not the highlight of the project to me.

Some of the project’s highlights that make it above-par to me are certain features that stand out above the rest. Khalid, Camilla Cabello, Travis Scott, and H.E.R don’t seem out of place like some of the other features do, but instead play off of Ed Sheeran very well. Sheeran’s ability to step out of his comfort zone and embrace a more rap-influenced style, even spitting the occasional halfway-decent bars throughout this project, is impressive and commendable considering that he could’ve easily played it much safer here. “Antisocial” is the biggest gem from this project to me, but that may just be because of how much I enjoy Travis Scott’s presence on any track. The song’s eclectic music video also reassures that neither Sheeran nor his collaborators took anything too seriously when creating this project, which is probably a good thing.

Overall, I find this album to be an enjoyable collection of radio-friendly summer tracks. There are questionable moments throughout, but enough positive counterbalance to call this a successful project from Sheeran. I’m interested to see if working with artists from genres other than his own will have any influence on his solo work moving forward - we will see. What did you think of this project?

SCORE: 5/10