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

I Think My Taste In Music Is Changing... And Why That Isn't A Bad Thing

If you had asked me in either middle or high school which musical genres and artists I enjoyed listening to at the time, I would’ve quickly and resoundingly responded with rap and listed whichever rappers were popular at the moment in the music scene. While a bulk of what I was listening to at the time is completely radio-driven and surface level, some of the artists I listened to back then still hold a place in my musical library. Those artists, Kendrick Lamar for example, are still relevant to me today because of the lyrical complexity in their music and their willingness to take risks in sound and production. If you ask me what kind of music I’m listening to now, I have a different answer for you. The only rap that I listen to is introspective, lyrically complex, and has a message bigger than anything surface level. What I’ve been discovering recently is newer hip-hop and rap music just isn’t delivering the emotional depth, story-telling, and soul that I look for in good music, but there are other genres that do supply just that. In short, my tastes are changing.

I first heard Father John Misty’s music when he was a guest on Saturday Night Live in March of 2017. His chilling performance of “Total Entertainment Forever”, one of my favorites of his, intrigued me because it was lyrically complex and unlike anything I had heard before. Misty’s indie folk music performance that night opened a door for me to the rest of his brilliant discography and before long I was at the front row of one of his concerts singing along to every word of every song. Spotify’s recommendations led me to similar artists like Fleetwood Mac, Jason Isbell, and Sara Bareilles, and over time my tastes were slowly moving away from rap and hip-hop. Don’t get me wrong, I still love and listen to a lot of rap music like Travis Scott’s Astroworld and BROCKHAMPTON’s SATURATION trilogy, but these and similar offerings often don’t paint pictures as vivid as a lot of the Americana, indie, folk, and old country music (none of that country pop crap and especially not Old Town Road, don’t even get me started on country rap) that I’ve been listening to lately. For example, Jason Isbell’s “Anxiety” hit me in an emotional spot that no rap music has been able to in a very, very long time.

The point I’m trying to make in this post is that middle school Andy never would’ve pictured that his music tastes could change so dramatically and so quickly, but they have, and that is a good thing. As we garner new life experiences, meet and make connections with new people, and develop in character, our tastes grow and change to reflect that. I find comfort in the fact that I’m maturing and evolving as a person to be able to appreciate new art and music that causes me to feel things and relate to artists that have gone through similar experiences. If you aren’t really listening intently to the music that’s playing, why listen at all? Sure, some music can serve as good background noise at times, but I now think that I relate more with the overall message and contents of the folk/Americana/indie I’ve been listening to than I do with rap, and that is completely okay.

Linked below is a playlist I’ve made featuring the kind of music I’ve been listening to lately. I may be biased, but I highly recommend it. Some of the artists include Father John Misty, Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile, Sara Bareilles, Chris Stapleton, Fleetwood Mac, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, and many more. Enjoy, and don’t be afraid to evolve!

SPOTIFY LINK: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0rBGrVqtatPXMLPUnbPqiz?si=SMsdK5pnSkWU-le2ELYQdA

Show Review: Stranger Things Season 3 (Spoiler-Free)

This review of the third and most recent season of Netflix’s original series Stranger Things will not contain spoilers, so if you haven’t seen the season yet but want to know my opinion on it as a whole, don’t be afraid to read here!

After what I considered a moderately disappointing sophomore slump following an incredible first season, I was eager to see where the Stranger Things creators, the Duffer Brothers, would take the Hawkins-based story in season 3. The second season left me desiring more of the nostalgia that was so abundant in the first season. The second season’s plot and flanderization of certain characters also left a lot to be desired in my opinion. Luckily, season 3 of Stranger Things was mostly a return to form for this incredibly original story.

Without going into too specific much detail, I will highlight some of my personal favorite elements in the new season. Firstly, I enjoyed the sometimes unconventional pairings of certain characters that enabled more character development than would have been possible if said characters stayed in their usual bubbles. This season’s plot comes off as cheesy or unrealistic at points, but its basic foundation is more similar to season 1 than season 2’s plot was. I also enjoyed the contributions from new characters and actors, specifically what I thought was a very impressive performance from Maya Hawke’s Robin. The delicate balance between tension, drama, and comic relief was achieved throughout the entire season, which made the 8 episodes go by unbelievably quickly. The Duffer Brothers have suggested that season 4 may be the show’s last, and after the finale episode, that makes sense to me.

Some of the season’s downfalls that put it a couple notches below season 1 may be seen as nitpicking, but the Duffer Brothers have set a standard of excellence that I’ve come to expect out of the show. The plot’s scope is a little difficult to suspend my disbelief for, and the scale of the show not simply being contained to Hawkins seems to be getting out of the control of the show’s writers. Throughout the season, some characters become the most exaggerated versions of who they once were, which is unfortunate. There is also some fan service, but that is to be expected in a very self-aware show that is a complete nostalgia play. Some of the season’s finale “boss fights” also left more to be desired, but I thoroughly enjoyed the finale’s emotional final scenes.

Overall, Strangers Things (season) 3 was not a disappointment. I certainly did not enjoy it as much as I enjoyed season 1, but I didn’t expect to going into it. I was pleased to find this season more compelling and enjoyable than season 2, and I think that Stranger Things will be remembered as an excellent and very creative, original story if it ends fittingly after season 4. If you’ve already watched season 3 and were hoping for a juicer, more in-depth review then I apologize - maybe one will be coming soon. If not, go dive back into the world of the upside down and enjoy the fireworks that this season of Stranger Things brings, there are plenty to be enjoyed.

SCORE: 7/10

2019 NBA Off-Season - Kevin Durant And Kyrie Irving To Brooklyn Nets Reaction

NBA Basketball’s free agency period began last night at 6PM EST sparking chaos as teams came to agreements with players and contracts were negotiated. That’s right, F5 season is upon us, and as all of the trades and signings continue to be reported by NBA insiders, I will keep refreshing my feeds to keep up with the latest deals. One of the biggest winners so far in this year’s free agency is the Brooklyn Nets. Much to many Knicks, Celtics, and Warriors fans dismay, both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have made verbal commitments to join Brooklyn’s young and impressive team, signing for contracts of 4-year, $164M and 4-year, $141M respectively in early July. Brooklyn also made their free agency splurge even sweeter by getting DeAndre Jordan to commit to a 4-year, $40M deal made possible through KD and Irving taking minor pay cuts. There’s a lot to talk about here.

First are the direct ramifications of the trade. The Brooklyn Nets have agreed to send all-star guard D’Angelo Russell to the Golden State Warriors on a 4-year, $117M deal. The Golden State Warriors plan on signing Splash Brother Klay Thompson onto a 5-year, $190M deal, and traded Finals MVP Andre Iguodala to the Memphis Grizzlies to clear up cap space to do so. The future will be very interesting for the Warriors, and matchups between GSW and Brooklyn will be must-see basketball.

Unfortunately Kevin Durant got hurt, as we all know, in the 2019 Finals and isn’t expected to come back to play by the time the 2019-2020 season rolls around. Hopefully this will give Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan enough time to settle into the New York spotlight, develop chemistry, and figure out how to get wins with their new group of teammates. Once Kevin Durant returns to action a year later, I will be expecting the Brooklyn Nets to be a top 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, especially if Kawhi Leonard leaves the Toronto Raptors in favor of the Los Angeles Lakers, which is looking more and more likely every hour. I do find it interesting that Kyrie Irving is teaming up to form a super team of his own after defiantly leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to go lead a team of his own only to be humbled by his experience in Boston. Irving is a clutch and extremely talented player, but it seems that he needs good team chemistry to thrive and stay mentally fit to win big games, otherwise seemingly losing passion in the game.

I’m very excited for the coming days of free agency, and this is just one of the many moves that have even happened so far. It’s all getting a little hard to keep straight; Jimmy Butler is a member of the Heat, D. Rose a Piston, JJ Redick a Pelican, Kemba Walker a Celtic, and so on. The 2019-20 season of NBA Basketball will be fascinating for a number of reasons, but until then, I will continue to analyze and react to off-season shockers and Woj Bombs as they happen. Stay tuned.

Album Review: CASE STUDY 01 - Daniel Caesar

I’m happy to say that there is finally another album for me to review on this blog. Unfortunately, this summer has been somewhat slow as far as musical releases go. Luckily, R&B artist Daniel Caesar has snapped that cold streak. This album’s shock drop with no lead up singles was a very pleasant surprise, and while this album isn’t perfect, there are gems throughout that will be on repeat as the summer goes on.

I need to preface this review by admitting that Daniel Caesar has a special place in my heart. Caesar’s 2017 release Freudian (which I rated 8/10) was one of my top 10 album releases from that year. Since Freudian’s rollout, I’ve returned to tracks such as “Get You” and “Best Part” which have become quite sentimental to me because of my relationship. Going into CASE STUDY 01 both my expectations and hopes were high, and while I wasn’t disappointed, this generally seems to be a slight regression for Caesar.

The most accurate description I’ve been able to come up with for this project is “bottom heavy”. The second half of tracks, specifically from “SUPERPOSITION” and onward, are a return to form for Caesar that perhaps exceeds the quality of music he’s ever released. Tracks 7 through 10, “SUPERPOSITION”, “TOO DEEP TO TURN BACK”, “COMPLEXITIES”, and “ARE YOU OK?” both feel sentimental and experimental; nostalgic and brand new simultaneously - which are the exact qualities that I turn to Caesar for. Beat switches, soft accompanying acoustic guitar, and Caesar’s signature vocal performances really round out CASE STUDY 01’s rocky start.

“CYANIDE” is one of the only tracks from the front half of this project that really caught my attention. Unique flows and high production value will likely make this track the highlight of many fan’s listens of this project. Besides that song, however, I was underwhelmed with the beginning tracks. “ENTROPY”, “LOVE AGAIN”, and especially “FRONTAL LOBE MUZIK” featuring Pharrell Williams just didn’t hit the mark in my opinion. I can’t even pinpoint why exactly I’m not drawn back to these tracks, which is why I don’t exclusively review music, but there’s just something that feels hollow about these tracks. Objectively they aren’t bad, but again, “SUPERPOSITION” is what kicks this album online to me, and salvages rating points that the first half of this album couldn’t produce.

I’m happy to have another Daniel Caesar album downloaded in my library, and I’m sure some of the tracks will be repeat listens for me. This is a generally a good album that could have great if the same production and attention to detail were given to the opening tracks. I’m excited to see which direction Caesar goes from here.

SCORE: 6/10