Composer and multi instrumentalist Erik Hall from Michigan has made something that is really mind boggling and calming to listen to. A man who voyeurs into other provocative works and gives us a jump start in marvel by crafting his own versions here before us. His forte is minimalism music, which I am aware of people living with a minimalist and almost immaculate that’s sometimes to the point of a sterilized lifestyle, but in music?! I didn’t even know that was a thing. But it’s description makes sense as like living in a modest bare studio that is not too flashy or complex, minimalism in music is all instrumental and repetitive as the melody or harmony doesn’t stray too far from the beginning. If that’s not your appeal then turn around. How do you make something static, interesting? Well, you have the greats like Steve Reich being a pioneer in this genre and was able to pull it off, of course whom Hall admires as he did a whole rendition of his magnum opus that is Music for 18 Musicians in 2020. Here, Hall takes the mantle and takes a stab at four pieces that you can call covers, that is fair. Sometimes listening or discussing cover albums can be polarizing, but I must beseech you! A listen to this album is rewarding. It is like we say, has repetitive loops and in terms of start to finish on each track the beginning sounds very similar to the end. But after listening to the originals as well, Hall has managed to keep things so full of life and makes them flourish with his contemporary classical take. His style is minimalist, but far from sterilized. From the big four that is featured in Solo Three, I only have heard of Glenn Branca (the pioneer of No Wave) from the first track and Steve Reich from the last track, who I admittedly have not dabbled into his works, but have heard his name. And I now know of the other two composers being Charlemagne Palestine and Laurie Spiegel. It’s just four tracks, but each of Hall’s renditions of these tracks were able to stay true to their respective aesthetics. However to me, these reconstructions aren’t updates with a fresh coat of paint to fit the modern era, but are each given a dollop of magic that it gives anyone with an open mind, wonder. The sounds are also ambient enough to the point that it may purify whatever is weighing on your mind. What’s also amazing about this tribute to the other artists is that just like his version of Music for 18 Musicians, Hall performed the instruments on EVERYTHING. Yes, every component you hear on Solo Three, he’s the one behind it. The strings, the keys, and the winds, everything. No sequencers at all. That is a damn human being going through all the tedious repetition, that the final gestalt, when all the instruments are mixed together is not tedious at all. So, take my hand on this magical carpet ride.
In Hall’s rendition of Glenn Branca’s “The Temple of Venus Pt. 1”, it is started out with these staccato guitars and modified keys that flutter throughout. Then layers of instrumentation are slowly added that it gets a little more intense and tapers out at the end. The original was performed by ornate strings, but having all these different instruments being cohesive together makes this much more interesting. “Strumming Music” that is performed with a Michael Hedge’s like layered guitar sequences with Hall literally strumming throughout as advertised. It is airy and gentle and doesn’t stray from its path of freedom. It becomes more cinematic as time goes on when the piano loop comes in. It actually does become more dynamic in volume at its climaxes whenever the piano swoops down, but not overpowering.
I’m in absolute awe in the second half. “A Folk Study” by Laurie Spiegel when I listened to it, I really enjoyed how its Kraftwerk like synth loops are triumphant sounding. In Solo Three though, it’s very childlike and more upbeat with these synthesizers and guitars filling in space anywhere they can get their little hands on. Like little molecules reacting and bouncing off each other to give this delicate chipper mood after that long listen of “Strumming Music”. It is a fun pit stop, but I wish this track was longer. It healed my soul, but I totally get it, since the original was brief as well. Then the closer is Erik’s rendition of Reich’s “Music for a Large Ensemble”. It actually sounds very similar in the beginning with flutes and varied percussion arranged very similar. What made this one sounds so much more fleshed out though, is the textures of the smooth synths, brass (Oh! When the brass comes in!), and winds has mashed with these lighter flutes and percussion that it makes you actually isolate each note in your mind. Then you see the whole mural on the ceiling of this chapel. To me, it’s like looking at a planetarium of all the lights cooperating with each other in their own choreography. These elements really sound they are dancing with each other. It is a flash mob of color.
I only have a few complaints. The opener gave me a taste of what I was getting into, but it didn’t resonate with me like the other three tracks. As an opener though, it did a good job. There are some elements throughout the album that I wished were more prominent or there would be more instrumentation. I also loved “A Fold Study” and even though I understood the creative direction to make it short as its predecessor. I really wished it was longer as it sounded like something was missing.
Hall’s passion project is a cup of coffee and joy to jump start your day and it gives me absolute bliss that I found this record out of the blue. Yes, it is long and repetitive, so if that is not what you’re into, then you might find this to be a chore to listen. The arrangements of these covers were sublime as if they all made sense and fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. A colorful cohesion. I also have to praise him in steering this one man ship by himself. I would be so down to go into the rabbit hole that is minimalism music after multiple listens of this album. If there is anything I can say about this experience, is this sounds like a soundtrack to cinematic flight. Yeah, no joke. It feels like you’re flying to this. If for some reason, reality decides to get all Ghibli in my mundane life and gives me powers of flight? Then this would be the album I would listen to as I fly over crops, through skyscrapers, with the birds, and zooming past the clouds where children would look up and be in awe, while summoning their parents to see what they have witnessed before I fade away.
FAVORITE TRACKS: STRUMMING MUSIC, A FOLK STUDY, MUSIC FOR A LARGE ENSEMBLE
LEAST FAVORITE: THE TEMPLE OF VENUS PT. 1
You can purchase this album on Bandcamp and his discography is also available for streaming.
I came here for the dogs, but then I stayed for the music. So, I was browsing noise rock outfits in Bandcamp and the cover art drew me in. So, this stayed on my wish list and after a couple of listens after its release, I am hooked. There’s not much information about this band from Bristol, UK that I could find. Only this Instagram page, I was able to find information on them, which I’m glad I found with such haphazardness and was able to scrape off any pride for myself to support any small bands. But regardless of how popular they are, they have this punk energy to them and proves they got what it takes to be up in the echelon of punk rockers right at the start of their first track, “Unhappy People”. This album is loud and empowering just like many of the songs in this album with their riffs and their vocals. So, despite my small understanding of punk rock, I still say give this one a shot. It’s short, yet anything but sweet.
I said this opening track is absolutely a banger, but I cannot for the life of me place where I heard these types of vocals before, despite it being on the tip of my tongue. But frontwoman Elinor Rebecca Godwin, sounds like a banshee who is going to absolute war. The stunning loud anthem is an open invitation to anyone wanting to escape from the mundane, the banality, and the routine. A rocking first start. I love the grungy riffs in “Signs” along with this tingy synthesizer in the background. Godwin sounds like the cavalry has arrived to send the rage back at the people who have hurt her. A great tune for anyone who wants to vent and muster their courage. I loved the direction of Godwin’s vocals sounds like it’s falling apart to know she’s in pain, but the anger is there. She wants them to feel it. I absolutely love the unhinged yodeling in “So I’m Told”. This song is a powerhouse that my body feels like it can’t take it anymore.
“We’ve got unhappy people, searching for ecstasy.”
Elinor Rebecca Godwin. “Unhappy People”
We get to Godwin sounding like a zombie with a drunken stupor with minimal instrumentals at the beginning, but she sounds just as irritated as she explodes in the chorus. I do like how mocking she sounds in some of the way she enunciates a couple of words. She has really impressive vocal chops when you hear the isolated part at the end. Then we get to my favorite song, “It’s Only Love”. I could listen to this one for hours. It has a good dynamic arc to it and shows the singer has emotional range. However, the riffs in the chorus, while simple, yet is so catchy while Godwin goes into cavalry mode to arm ourselves. Even the outro of “It’s Only Love” is an emotional impact. “Now You Say” goes into a manic episode with the guitar two-chord sequences going absolutely bonkers with Godwin sounding theatrical.
We get to an okay act three of the LP with Godwin going into a Betty Boop impression in “Forget”, which sounds like a lounge number until we get get reminded of where we are, when she wants to forget. Last highlight for me was the closer, “I Don’t Like You”. She doesn’t like you, but I like this song. Hahaha. It’s the appropriate closer to have these haunting background vocals that assist this angry misanthrope.
The record is fun however, there are some parts I felt like I was just tapping my feet and head bobbing to some parts and not really resonating with many parts of the album. Some moments kind of dragged on for me like “Forget” or the riffs weren’t as strong like “State of That” or having a weak chorus. The first half the album is very good compared to the second half for me, unfortunately.
Only Love is an album that does its job to make you head bang at the pit. This album doesn’t overstay its welcome and does what good punk albums do, make their statements. I do wish there’s an online lyric sheet, since the vocals are understandably buried in the mix in this punk energy. It deserves its own lyric sheet. This album is a banger! Boisterous bands like these need to exist for my sanity while standing on this desolate rock. So, it’s safe (or not) to pump that fist into the air, because Only Love delivers exactly what it advertised. Get a bite out of this!
FAVORITE TRACKS: UNHAPPY PEOPLE, SIGNS, SO I’M TOLD, IT’S ONLY LOVE, I DON’T LIKE YOU
LEAST FAVORITE: STATE OF THAT
You can purchase this album on Bandcamp and their discography is also available for streaming.
When it comes to challenging listens, URGH is one. The first album from 2026 that got a hold of me by the neck is this industrial beast spearheaded by a band from Manchester, UK that goes by the name Mandy, Indiana. This is their sophomore album and the band was already hailed as a force to be reckon with as their debut placed them on the map as one that pushes the edge to stop their audience in their tracks and pay attention to the noise, the power electronics, and the charisma this band has locked and loaded in their chamber. There is a certain kind of magic behind the synths that shakes the room and frontwoman Valentine Caulfield’s vocals, despite me not knowing a lick of French. Yes, this album is mostly spoken in French (except a Billy Woods feature and the last song with good reason ) and her timbre plays into the dance club aspect, but Caulfield’s vocals are still aggressive to the point that it’s liberating and an important component for this visceral experience. The band shared with Brookyln Vegan, that the album is influenced by films that all have a certain aesthetic that is dark and broodingly intense. For my recent listens, I’ve been on an industrial streak lately for my love of noise and here comes the incredible single, “Cursive” has popped up in front of me and then the rabbit hole goes further from there. Since this album is industrial rock, it can be polarizing for some as this is a challenging and brutal listen. I say challenging, yet is a much rewarding to listen to, as the noises and grooves gives me an agency that I didn’t know I had. Online discussion has URGH being compared to Death Grips and I can see why that is, since there are some hip hop elements, and I looooove to jam to Death Grips. If you’re not into abrasive noise, then this album is not for you, but if no such barrier exists, then jump on this album. It has great vocals, synth grooves, and cathartic clashing of noise that makes you get disoriented and lash out. Atmosphere is what has been brought to the table for all us non-French speakers.
And right out the gate! This noisy, distorted hip hop beat on “Sevastopol” is the first litmus test on your tolerance of this LP. The power electronics and horrific synths coming together with an auto-tuned Caulfield to make this industrial genre come alive. I’ve been searching for more harsh yet structured sounds like this and I’m glad I arrived at the right place. It goes from one to a hundred as we approach to a crescendo of these hellish synths and we resume the club dancing on “Magazine”. This banger is absolutely crushing the insides. There’s this hilarious vocal sample of “Honey, is that you?” playing in tempo with this sick beat, distant snares, and Caulfield’s rapping on “Try Saying”. Then it seamlessly goes into “Dodecahedron”, which sounds like some sort of nightmare march.
“A Brighter Tomorrow” lightly pumps the brakes, but maintains these horror vibes as the record goes into a trance. It sounds like a wind howling along with Caulfield’s vocals sounding ghostly and somewhat intimate and exotic. This track warmed up to me and has now got me hypnotized after a few listens. One of the movie influences has seeped through the cracks with “Life Hex” starting out with a movie sample from a 90s cult classic, “The Craft”, as the band’s synths and vocals echoes out, yet they seem so far away. “ist halt so” (translated loosely to “that’s the way it is” from German), brings back the dance vibes, but is also a hydraulic press of sound just putting the listener under pressure juxtaposed by a wacky synth loop. It then ends with these machine gun like primal hand drum passages and stuttering distorted synths.
The last act of the record ends very strong, starting with “Sicko!”. The Death Grips influence allegations cannot be stopped here, as it sounds like something Andy Morin would get behind with these bouncy power electronics. It also has a Billy Woods feature, who just kills it as always and is this track’s MC Ride. “Cursive” is probably the catchiest one in this album, albeit still terrifying with this horror horn wailing in the background. Loved this as a single and I now love how this was implemented in the album as I shake my hips side to side at the beat switch. And are those Yoshi in pain sound effects I hear? I smash that repeat button on “Cursive”. However, my favorite song is the best for last and that is “I’ll Ask Her”. So we all agree this album has been a brutal listen to sonically, but “I’ll Ask Her” is brutal to listen to in its subject matter. I understand what Caulfield is saying here, since she’s performing the closer in English. I infer that it is a creative choice, since this is the best way to communicate to her audience that there are monsters among us. So trigger warning, she talks about rape and sexual assault and expresses palpable rage on how the predators and their peers justify every heinous action they’ve done. This is all juxtaposed to this growling beat and shrieking, distorted guitar pedal. And as the song grows out its tolerance of “boys will be boys”, the instrumental goes into a manic episode, then Caulfield uses the offensive phrase towards victims “they’re all fucking crazy, man” over and over again, and then reflect it back a hundredfold. It is such an empowering voice and is one of the best examples of music being used as a fucking weapon.
Even though, I do like how intense this album is, but there are some caveats for me. The midpoint in my opinion is not as memorable as the book ends of this LP. “Dodecahedron” was getting interesting and kind of just fizzled out for me. “Life Hex” and “ist halt so” just seemed like they were loud, just because they wanted to be and there was not much sticking out to me with the former feeling kind of scant.
As I wipe the sweat off my brow with thy handkerchief, I dare say, this album is absolute fire. Yeah, there are some spots where it’s not as memorable, but the atmosphere the band provides the merit on why voices in the underground have showered them with praise. URGH is a challenging listen, but it is so rewarding, as they were able to engender power within its harshness. This kind of music has expanded my scope on everything that falls on the spectrum. There are groups who can be as loud as they can be, but cannot grab me while I sleep. URGH jolts me awake. It’s colorful chaos. It is an ideal vessel for dissociation. Then we close with animosity in its au revoir.
FAVORITE TRACKS: SEVASTOPOL, MAGAZINE, TRY SAYING, A BRIGHTER TOMORROW, SICKO!, CURSIVE, I’LL ASK HER
LEAST FAVORITE: LIFE HEX
You can purchase this album on Bandcamp and their discography is also available for streaming.
Please forgive me for the hiatus. There has been a lot going on and I’m getting ready to go on an exciting trip to Atlanta and hopefully find some great record stores and see FKA Twigs perform live. I’ve already found some albums that I found captivating in 2026, so be looking forward to that. And I’ve been listening to some industrial music as that’s what I’m in the mood right now. But I wanted to just use this time to ponder and figure out what else I could be writing about here on A Lot on My Crate. I know I would like to be covering part of my record collection as a series. I feel I should be obligated to talk about records, since the title of the blog affiliates with my hobby. I would also like to document record stores I’ve been to as well. But we have “Song of the Days” and the “Why You Should Spin” album overviews. I’m trying to find out what else I can write about next.
A friend of mine suggested a hot or not kind of deal in which I can talk about the most popular or hyped albums recently and see if I should recommend a listen to gauntlet style. There’s one. If there’s a hot topic about music, that has popped up I can go on a spiel about it, even though my knowledge on music and its industry is not as robust as I would like to be. I will elaborate further, but the main reason I wanted to write this blog is because I’m so enthusiastic in the art of music that I would like to share them with anyone as I try to be diverse in my picks as I can. Yes, I’m one of those people that likes every genre, except pop country. Let’s not stay in pop country. It is a silly place. Giving musical exposure is not the only thing this blog is doing, but is helping me keeping my finger in the pulse. I didn’t expect to find 24 albums that got me from 2025, and I hope to break that record.
I don’t want to do reviews exactly. Not in the sense as in giving a project a numerical value or doing negative reviews. Let me preface with this, I do think discourse and criticism is important in all aspects of art, not just music. The only reason I didn’t want to do that here is well to be honest. That would just take up so much of my time. If there’s an album I don’t vibe with, then I just don’t want to write about it. It saves time and energy. I might do something different with the hot or not series, as I won’t delve too deep in the albums I pick, good or bad. If there’s one popular one that really resonates with me, then I might do add it to my “Why You Should Spin” series. I like to call this series a bunch of overviews instead of reviews. I want to talk about why I like them and why you should listen to them too. Bashing a project sounds fun ranting and everyone has a right to criticize, but I don’t want to make it a thing here.
Lastly, I’m still trying to figure out the ins and outs of WordPress and would like to spice this site up a bit. Learn more and try to make this place looks professional. It’s going to be a lot of work, but I’m excited for things to come. I hope you are too. Open to suggestions!
First off, let me first say thank you for anyone stopping by and taking the time to read this. Secondly, I know it’s the middle of February and everyone has already done their best of year lists. Let’s not make a brouhaha on when’s the cutoff for an albums of the year list is appropriate! Or make one! Who am I to tell you what to do? I can say that I’m really excited to finally get to this point and compile and rank a list of my favorite albums from last year of 2025. Because making lists is fun. I started A Lot on My Crate last summer thanks to a push from a friend, and want to commit to the bit to bolster my mediocre writing skills to talk about my enthusiasm of music new and old and in all shapes and sizes. This has been a lot of fun and I wish I hopped on this sooner so I didn’t have to feel rushed into doing this. The year 2025 has delivered us with some great musical projects from talented people that I would like to share with anyone stopping by here. If any album, artist, or song from this list has been able to resonate to a single person, then I will feel much content and declare a mission accomplished. I would also like to preface that no matter what rank these are, I still recommend them to everyone, as all of these albums are worth listening to, in my opinion. So, here’s my list of 24 albums all ranked (not a rounded number I know) and I added a link to my past overviews of each album at the end of each passage. All this from a guy who just loves all kinds of music.
#24: Hit It! by vianova
There are a multitude of reasons why this metalcore album made it on the list. It is a fun project that takes creative risks and makes the listens so fresh. You got your expected intense riffs and screams, but there are some surprising jabs and sucker punches that vianova utilizes and takes those liberties to knock your ass onto the floor. Whether it’s a soft scratchy piano, a church choir, synth wave, or even a pop rap direction, I applaud them for making it work and implore any metalcore fan to check this bad boy out.
Sex, drugs, and club bangers are all this album provides. Amaarae has blessed us with something that is so night coded and braggadocious. It’s on the dance floor and in your face. If you like pop rap that gets you into a trance, then this will get you through the night and deliver those vibes.
I regret not making an overview of this album as I wanted to talk about the astounding opening track of Metallic Life Review. There are no limits when it comes to Matmos’ vision, I’m convinced at this point that they can produce engaging music by sampling stagnant air at this point. This mystical album is produced using samples of metallic material. If it was anyone else trying to replicate this idea, it would get gimmicky so fast. Matmos has the experience and backbone to commit and flesh out a product like this. I can listen to this album if I want to relax or just get anxious. For fun! Give this a try and have fun knowing how they were able to produce these spellbinding sounds.
#21: Death Hilarious by Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs
If you are someone that needs to vent and wallow in the bellows of your mind. Then this album is your weapon of choice. It is a heavy album, but has very much relatable lyrics. Despite it being a heavy sludge album, it can be soothing too. Even has a sick El-P feature. That’ll do pigs. That’ll do.
One of the most eccentric rappers of today dropped not only one of the most fun albums, but is also sonically, a mind-blowing experience. Stardust is a whole different animal compared Danny’s other works, but he pulls it off. The man doesn’t want to be pigeonholed to a guy who just does one thing. Now all the gloves are off and listening to his last few projects, you can’t predict what he’s going to do next. Not only does he uplift you with his pen, but he, the producers, and features sound like they’re having a blast.
One of the most lush records on this list. If you listen to track, “Kimpton” you’d definitely know what I mean. This album is all about vibes and mood, but behind the veil is someone trying to find themselves. And to convey that on an electronic album that’s not dominated with lyrics, is a tough task to do. Props to this album for being great at self healing.
What you can find in Animatronics is a world that is oh so enigmatic. This IDM electronic album makes you look at this world through a scope and is like watching slides of machines in an assembly line being productive. The album walks the line on being so whimsical and desolate at times. I will always remember feeling like being watched on “White Lace Throne”, or the presentation of a booming industry on “Purple Soap”, and I’ll always feel at ease with its cavalier march of finished products at “Memory Defrost”. If you want a bend of the mind, here are your coordinates.
Ever want to laugh, but feel like dying inside? Viagra Boys have been an unstoppable force of punk, while being meticulous on using humor and in viagr aboys, the self deprecating to cope and criticize folks of today. I will always laugh at how he portrays a nihilistic dude who cares about feet pics and the guy who eats cigarettes for breakfast. But much of the music in viagr aboys is perfect mosh material. They all feel like punk anthems go nowhere, but up. A lot of love is given to this album online for a myriad of good reasons. Viagra Boys deserves their flowers and this is my favorite from them to this day.
What Horsegirl has made here, is a sunny energy that pervades throughout and brightens the mood. I beseech you to listen to this soft indie rock album if you want a lot of catchy tracks and just want to let loose and skip down the street. This album saved me through boredom of a vacation and I have tracks, like “Rock City” and “Switch Over” to thank for that. This has been one of my most frequent when it comes to heavy album rotations. I can just listen to this record again and again, and never get sick of it.
One of my most proud finds is this gem, Rammana. Salin and her collaborators were able to pull off an ambitious feat and fuse traditional Thai folk and funk. It has so many tracks that exudes so much color and unique instrumental palettes that enriches your ears. It sounds so festive and you can actually feel the people be proud doing this (I will always love that jaw harp on “Puaj”). When it comes to fusion of different cultures, sometimes they come out very tacky and treat the culture they are representing as an “aesthetic” and not an important entity itself. But these artists and performers not only put in their skill and craftsmanship, but their respect. If you listen to the ending track, Rammana you’ll know that these people are able to unite together and bring two worlds together. Not that Gal Gadot “Imagine” shit, but a merging of two cultures that feels like two spirits dance in unison.
Billy Woods does what he does best. Emit a dark aura with his words around us. Not to shock us, but to make us stare at the problem right in front of us. This specific record shows Billy’s craft is utilized like a surgical knife and is versatile. Since we live in a world of ignorance, we need more voices like Billy’s to just be aware of the horrors around us. It scares us. It’s supposed to.
Revengeseekerz is a wild ride, with the brake lines cut and no stops. Jane Remover making rage go to eleven, by testing our threshold of this loud destruction of everything around us. And the thing is, we want more, because after that satisfying destruction, we feel like a need of a cigarette. This album is gassed the hell up with a personal message amongst the rubble.
The BPM is a treat for us. Even with its message of empowerment and romance, it is still a danceable triumph and can be blasted on your car’s speakers. Sudan Archives displays her talent that she is resourceful, versatile, and passionate about all of her projects. Oh yeah, and she plays a mean violin still! This was the most recent addition to the list, which I’m glad didn’t fly under the radar as I should have listened to this album way earlier. This is house music that has so much life put into them with memorable beats assembled by her and her Detroit collaborators. This is house music done by someone who I would’ve assumed has done this for so many years if I didn’t know her name. But people should know her name and take the Sudan Archives moniker seriously by now.
I knew people put respect into Daniel Lopatin’s work in the circle of electronic music fans. When praise came around for Tranquilizer, I gave it a shot and it shot me right in the neck. Oneohtrix Point Never’s dart gave me New Age sounds that are so textured, rich, and colorful. Impressive work by someone who used sample packs to create most of this esoteric behemoth. It’s not random sounds thrown into a wall and seeing what sticks, but each track including the chaotic ones, you can hear they’ve been given a lot of thought and care to make them sound what they do. It’s a calculated calm. It’s a maddening meditation. It’s a whole new world of wonder. I’m never going to forget the feeling of my first listen of this project and I’ll certainly put more respect into Oneohtrix Point Never’s name and dig into his past albums.
The original version (the version I love the most) was released on January of 2025 and so it’s the earliest selection on this list, but I am still spellbound to it. It is definitely one of the most experimental records on this list. I can also say with confidence that this is the most sensual record that made it on here as well. This album sounds like a machine that wants to be loved. It also sounds like it’s from the future. FKA Twigs takes great creative liberties to make this avant-garde art pop album just make you feel a large range of emotions when it comes to being comfortable with someone else or yourself. It’s a noble effort and she’s a champion for uniting everyone to not feel any shame with who you are and who you love. Also, she’s an absolutely insane dancer (see the Drums of Death video to see what I mean). FKA Twigs always has pushed the envelope when it comes making music, because that’s what always made me gravitate towards her. But I didn’t think she’d be able to go so above and beyond with this one as this is now my favorite Twigs album to date.
How impressive is it when a hip hop group comes together after a sixteen year hiatus and delivers a refreshing sound? Rapper Pusha T and producer Pharrell Williams have been really active in other things, but brother Malice’s last record was 2017 and he has been doing singles on and off. A lot of verses made by the group has made just go “wow”, whilst head bobbing to these sick beats. I will always feel emotional through the tough opener “The Birds Don’t Sing”. I will always be astounded by the powerful message in “Chains & Whips”. I will always thump to the Arabic sample on “So Be It” and its hot goss bars. I will always feel this powerful gravitas in “Inglorious Basterds”. And I will always will love the “This is culturally inappropriate” tags. This is an album you should blow out on the speakers of your car. This is an album that will raise many roofs. This is also an album I feel old and new hip hop heads will be able to enjoy, because of how accessible it is. Props to the Thornton brothers for making the hip hop industry quake.
If there are any of you out there that wants to travel to an alien world without leaving the comfort of your home, then this album is the perfect vessel for you. Traces is an ambient techno and IDM album that just scratches that part of your brain that is soothing to feel. This is also a futuristic sounding LP, but it seems to extend to the beyond and brings a meditative peace. It has ambient synths that sound like the cosmos, as well as punchy drum sequences that can jump start anyone’s engine. Cahl Sel made an album that sounds not from this galaxy. So, I hope he and his sound gets discovered out in the starry sea. And I hope his audience grows from here.
If there is music that can make you just stand on edge, it’s Pirouette by Model/Actriz. It is anxiety inducing, but I wouldn’t say it’s a punishing listen. Abrasive, oh absolutely. Punishing, no. The band was able to convey the hardships of someone’s suffering and manifest that into a dancing frenzy. Their kind of dance punk is very industrial, so people would hear this harshness in other spaces similar to this. However in my opinion, their frontman vocalist, Cole Haden made Pirouette stand and dance on its two legs. The pain in his voice is so palpable, that he utilizes it so well to just hammer us with what he’s going through. This band is two for two when it comes to just memorable and haunting albums. It’s just so hilarious when I go vibe to this album and say “Hell yeah!” as someone sings “I drag my nails on blackened stone.” This album is the equivalent of getting pummeled to death with sharp stone and still smiling like a maniac.
The bar has absolutely been raised higher on what rappers and their contemporaries can do these days. McKinley Dixon is just a tour de force and goes out guns blazing with his superb lyricism and storytelling. This winner of a concept album just surprises me so much and not only do the songs hold up by themselves, but the album experience is unforgettable. I have to say Magic, Alive! is cinematic as I care about the characters in the harsh environment they’ve been thrown into. The record sounds like church, jazz club, and the streets as the narrative dots its I’s and crosses their T’s. I mean listening to “the south made me realize it’s hot in heaven” is such a poignant bar. It’s albums like these that make me believe, please forgive me, that magic is possible. However magic or no, Dixon succeeds on wowing this audience on stage. Can’t wait to see what’s up his sleeves next. This talented artist deserves all the praise these days, as I found myself comparing a lot of rappers today to him recently.
What I find best about this indie rock album is that from the first minute that Bleeds starts, I found myself teleported into the mess that is a small town that is trying to do its best and devour you. It’s an album that gives the warning signs of what people can do and they don’t have the best attentions. However, they also convey that it’s complicated, this is a place you’ve bonded with, made memories, and found trouble. It has made you for who you are. A stronger person than before. Don’t give in. There are many great moments that make you want to either rock and lash out with “Townies”, or just mellow and float with the amazing self-healing, “Elderberry Wine”. The sound that Wednesday made is very dirty. It’s not a delicate band, nor a clean listen. If one wants to punch the drywall or sit on the side of a rusty bridge, this right here is your soundtrack.
Tether is a chamber folk album where Annahstasia will support you despite her not being actually by your side. She sings these bittersweet lyrics to speak from experience as she has seen many places and faces. Tether is a shining example that less is more. It’s mostly acoustic guitar and her voice, while using some instruments in this isolated space to project Annahstasia’s sound. And the sound of her voice! Probably my favorite voice that I’ve found this year hands down. When this album was over, I had to close my eyes, tone down on so many emotions, and process everything. The beginning sounds like a painful long goodbye, while the end sounds like a house of worship. Because of the emotional range of this album, I have to claim this is a damn impressive debut.
This album has been on so many lists that I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon! In all seriousness, what’s more to say about this album? I wouldn’t be surprised if this album is even on your list, or probably the top spot. I mean why not? It’s a phenomenal record. Cameron Winter and crew made a masterpiece that is 3D Country and then just wowed the world with the exponentially better Getting Killed. It has everything in a rock album, the songwriting, the vocals, the melodies, and the emotional weight this thing carries. You can’t tell me with a straight face that you don’t want to shake your shoulders during “Cobra”, not be sad during “Au Pays du Cocaine”, and refrain from shouting at the heavens during “Taxes”. Writing about this album is just time wasted from not listening to it. Everyone and their neighbor’s dog are getting raptured by this thing. Believe the hype and jump on this bandwagon.
The first single I’ve heard from this album is a woman who wants to fuck her computer. Whether that means literally or figuratively, I went “sonuvabitch I’m in.” Then the release of I Love My Computer arrived and I am so grateful for this gem. There are many great EDM projects out there, but I have to admit, not a lot of them can tell a personal narrative very well, since many of them focus on the instrumentation instead. Nothing wrong with that, but Ninajirachi was able to not only kick ass on production, but is able to deliver strong songwriting. It’s about her complicated relationship with technology, but she’s eternally grateful for it. It’s a love letter to how technology has changed her life to become the person she is. Whether it’s for creating music or seeing the darkest things on the Internet, Ninajirachi was able to convey her message that technology doesn’t have to be a Skynet. It made her life much more rich. In the song “Sing Good”, it was very moving on how a computer gave her confidence to make music. Whether she still believes she can’t sing well or has gotten better, it’s an absolutely beautiful moment. This LP has great beats, great melodies, and the most endearing lyrics. This is definitely my electronic/dance record of the year.
It’s been this album. It has always been this album. Doing this list, I was swapping rankings around and being deep in thought on some positions, but Lotus has always been the King Queen of them all. This has been a great year for hip-hop with McKinley Dixon, Danny Brown, and Clipse bringing such great art to us. They are deservedly worthy of being called greats. Little Simz is on that list too. Looking back at how awe-inspiring she has been I know she has reached some hearts if she has got me through some tough times. She just does it like second nature. She survived so she can tell us to survive. She’s got the pen to back it up and has many ways to tell her stories. The story of betrayal from a friend, which has initiated the creation of this album, which in turn has saved herself. After grieving on losing said friend, she turns to us and tells us to hold our chin high. Her goal at the end was hoping we would heal with this. The jazz in this jazz rap album is so rich and memorable, proof that Little Simz knows how to find other talented producers if she gave up on a former one. So, I’m very grateful for adding this arsenal to my collection to fight against any bad vibes coming my way. I’m grateful of the emotional roller coaster. I’m grateful for the bangers. I’m grateful for the struggle she shares. I’m grateful for her saying we’re not alone. Lastly, I’m grateful for this album being on the number one spot of 2025. It would make me full of bliss if anyone else can resonate with her music. I still find her underrated, as Little Simz in turn, deserves her flowers too.
Thank you again for stopping by and reading this blog if you have gotten this far. This has been so much fun just sharing all this great art with you. Resume your 2026! Hope you are having a great year so far. I also hope you stick around here on A Lot on My Crate, as I slowly try to spruce this place up. I’ll be busy, as I’ve got a lot on my plate right now. Oops, I mean a lot on my cra- .
I first heard about FKA Twigs when I first heard her amazing “Cellophane” single that followed her Magdalene release. It was so minimalist, but it was so out there in the distant aether. That’s how I would describe her music, just “out there.” That song made me look up her debut album alternative R&B record, LP1 and her dark M3LL155X EP, these projects were enough for me to follow her and I’ve been looking forward to her projects ever since. Then came the art pop album, Eusexua and it made an uproar. Despite being an artist that is so out there, she was able to reach so many and resonated enough of the zeitgeist to win Best Dance/Electronic Album at the Grammys with Eusexua not too long ago! This album was honestly the first I loved from 2025 since it was released January of that year. This album has kept me going until I found some more later in the year. But listening to this album even now, it is still a hit. It still hasn’t fallen off and my admiration of it has not waned. It has many attributes that make it a stellar listen. It’s experimental, it’s sensual, has a beautiful main voice, and it’s electronic centric, which I usually gravitate towards to. It even has talented producer Koreless holding the helm of production too. His style is so very appropriate on Twig’s vision. There are some throwbacks to this album, but it still feels so futuristic. Hopefully she gets even more exposure after the Grammy win. However, this has been one of the most confusing album rollouts that I can recall. Eusexua released in January of 2025. Then come November 2025 and Eusexua was released as a reissue with four tracks being replaced. Then Eusexua Afterglow was initially released as a deluxe album, but not really? It was just released as an entirely different album with all different tracks. It was a headache, but listening to these recent releases, I still prefer the original Eusexua, so that’s the version I will be talking about. But what is Eusexua? I know I’m not the only one who has asked this, because it seems like a portmanteau of euphoria and sexual. According to the trailer of the single however, it seems that many of the interviewees have different interpretations of what Eusexua is. Although, not entirely concrete, they all seem to focus on one direction or mood. Feeling good. I also like the one interpretation that it makes one alive. No matter what mood I’m in, music has made me reach emotions in the whole spectrum. For me, it is a great coping mechanism and it gets to the point that having earbuds in public is like my security blanket with my Linus. Even when I’m feeling down or negative, certain music helps me get through those hardships. Sometimes the music can be sexual, but it doesn’t have to be. It makes you feel alive. Art just does that. It reminds you that you’re living. So, listening to Eusexua, it’s a way of telling someone not to take those positive feelings you have for granted, but to embrace them.
The titular track (speaking of titular hehehe) “Eusexua” serves as a great opener by starting out soft and minimalist. FKA Twigs pours her heart out over this glitch that grows into this cinematic arc into her saying it drives people away, since she’s been so true of herself. But she comforts you and says, “you’re not alone”. It was a slow burner single that I wasn’t into at first, but listening to this as the debut, I feel like not having this stunning opener would kneecap the LP. “Girl Feels Good” sounds like a true blue throwback to nostalgic millennial pop that I was raised to love and Twigs just owns it like she belongs there. “Girl Feels Good” is referring to the female orgasm, as it is very sensual and sticks to the plan of one feeling euphoria. “Perfect Stranger” is more Y2K era pop and some eurodance while giving herself to a person she doesn’t even know. “Drums of Death” is probably the catchiest with these stuttering kicks, sporadic glitches, chopped up vocal samples, and a catchy hook and chorus that just makes me come back to this song again and again. We enter “Room of Fools” where we have the bouncy synth loop in the background, that reminds me of SOPHIE’s Product days. But this clubby dance number and Björk influenced singing, goes into this cathartic refrain, which is “It feels nice”. Another satisfying tally in the books. The mysterious, sensual, and exotic “Sticky” just lurks from behind and whispers sweet lines into your ear saying she wants to be done with the drama as it is killing her. And the end of this song sounds like it is killing her as we hear this erratic glitching crash out, like if she has self destructed. I loved how dynamic this track has brought and derails me, mood wise. I liked “Keep It, Hold It”, because of how quiet, yet catchy the chorus is. I find myself whispering to myself like a maniac, whenever I listen to this track, I “keep it walking” or “hold it close”. It’s about this part of the album it starts to dip in quality in my opinion and doesn’t have a strong ending, but “Striptease” is still worth talking about as we have this character opening themselves for someone piece by piece, and then we get this Cranberries’ “Linger” yodeling sort of outro. “24hr Dog” sounds like a song when two lone individuals are suspended in the void face to face, but it’s their moment. The lyrics “Your love chores. Distract me from the worst flaws.” was very telling on how emotional this song was as those lines really resonate how two certain beings mutually need one another. FKA Twigs embraces the closer “Wanderlust” and does her Charli XCX like flows here, yet sometimes not using her usual autotune. At the chorus, she makes it grand and operatic as she shouts on top of the cliffs of the crashing sea, that she is departing by looking for more pleasure. It sounds tragic, yet bittersweet that she is leaving this plane of existence. But you can’t stop, but hope she’ll be happy out there.
Taking a U-turn, when things take a playful turn on “Childlike Things”, which I appreciate its upbeat bright nature in a dark, sensual album like this, however I’ll elaborate more on why this was not my cup of tea. Even despite it’s going for a brighter mood, it just sounds so jarringly out of place from the gestalt of the album. Like a different person just crashed the stage. Happy for North West who obviously sounds like a fan of Twigs, but not sure how cohesive this direction was. It’s cute is all I can say.
Tahliah Barnett aka FKA Twigs has delivered one of the most avant-garde listens of 2025, as this record was and is a testament on what pop can be. It is an ever changing, mechanical, and breathing life form from the far future. It is an enchanting seductress, but sympathetic. It is a siren that lures you not into harm’s way, but into self satisfaction. Whether this lover in the album is human or not, intact or damaged, you never felt in peril even with this album’s multiple arms clenched into your deepest desires. It’s comforting in a way and doesn’t judge you for exposing your inner feelings. The fact that this album still hasn’t lost its magic and aphrodisiac for a year now, for me, is impressive and the album deserves all the praise it has received. Because when I get that feeling, I want “Eusexua” healing. Eusexua….healing. Hey, what’s that cane doing on sta-?
FAVORITE TRACKS: EUSEXUA, GIRL FEELS GOOD, DRUMS OF DEATH, ROOM OF FOOLS, STICKY, KEEP IT, HOLD IT, 24HR DOG
Once upon a time, a little girl named Brittney Denise Parks learned the violin and fell in love with it. That was her first treasure finding. Secondly, according to her in the Guardian, Parks stated that she found a whole new world to music when she found out on how Africans played the violin as opposed to Westerners. It was the spark that lit the match and her creative range has skyrocketed. The confidence she exudes was enough to leave the family home when they warn her she has been going out a lot. Being a young rebel means risks. Risks mean thinking outside the box frequently as an artist. So her story begins when Brittney became Sudan Archives, the name meaning ‘black history’, as she wants to become one with her African roots. She doesn’t want to make violin blended in with Western styles, she wants to become unique. So, she made a couple EPs and I recognized them during my radio days. And then, she made her debut with Athena. The album cover featuring her self with a violin speaks that is what she wants to highlight. It has been her focus and her mission to not only put herself and the violin on the map, but what black music can do. Athena and her sophomore album, Natural Brown Prom Queen are both alternative R&B albums with the former having the vibes, but the latter was very lush and is recognized by many and showered with praise. There have been a handful of tracks from Prom Queen that I adore, but when she went out guns blazing on The BPM, my jaw hit the dance floor. Parks releasing an EDM album was a very bold choice and the most deviating from her style from her yesteryears. It’s a statement that she is a jack of all trades, but master of all and doesn’t want to just be known as the novelty violin artist. She does implement violin, but this dance album has everything including the kitchen sink thrown at it, but it sounds so punchy, yet cohesive as a dance album. It also has R&B elements, but house seems to be the focus here along with some personal songwriting. This has been a wild ride, as I write with regret by listening to this album months after its release and not discovering it sooner. The title could be referring to the acronym “beats per minute” as applied to the tempo of music, or it could apply to the rate of which the heart pumps. The BPM is so catchy and does its job very well, you’d think Parks has been dropping beats at raves for a long time. As someone who loves EDM and raving, I can assure you, THE BPM for the most part, doesn’t skip a beat.
The opener is like a jump scare for how hard it pivots from the past Sudan Archive’s discography being alternative R&B style in the past. But “Dead” starts growing and develops a pulse with these 808 kicks as surprise, so it’s now a dance album. And you are going to like it! The production and songwriting is dramatic as it is fantastic, with its groove, dreamy mystifying vocals, and these beautiful violin flourishes makes “Dead” feel so damn alive now. We get into “Come and Find You” is a song laced with quirky, yet mysterious sounding afrobeats. It’s impressive how she was able to make a song with so much energy have just as much intimacy about a fling. “Yea Yea Yea” comes in with these trap beats that puts up a facade of luxury to enshroud a struggling relationship. “Touch Me” provides us with a heavy bass that shakes the room with a strong chorus. It’s a song that glamorizes sex and drugs that just makes it enticing to listen to. We get to “A Bug’s Life”, and if one wants to hear the full force of BPM, then this song will sway and slay you with Parks having charisma and flow like Beyoncé. This piano house cut with ornate strings is so infectious to listen to, that I must say, Calvin Harris, eat your heart out. Not only is “Nature of Power” is a banger that induced stank face on me especially during James McCall’s segments, but there is some powerful songwriting Parks has displayed. The song is about moving on while nature or how one cannot fight fate pushing back towards you. It’s funny now hearing Sudan “Fuck the odds, bet it all on the two of us.”, but the longtime relationship between McCall and Parks crumbled in the song and in real life. The house won. There’s some tragedy here, when these two people didn’t make it. So, Parks sees Adam and Eve become ‘beautiful liars’. The bed creaking at the end did send me in a chuckling state though. “My Type” has a good earworm of a chorus with her being about that boujee life. That seems to be what she’s looking for in sub of a dude. The violin in the song, “She’s Got My Pain” sounds so epic amongst this R&B cut, especially when it sounds like a Riverdance number. We have “David and Goliath” sounding suspenseful and cinematic with the strings being so pronounced alongside the auto-tuned vocals. “A Computer Love” goes into this digicore direction sounding like something Porter Robinson would produce. She seems to play a character that is holding on to a sliver of hope. The next two were a couple of head scratchers. We get to “The BPM” and it means the ‘power’. This song seems like another way for Parks to vent. “Ms. Pac Man” attempts to be this exotic bop, but it sounds really out of place and jarring. But thankfully, we get to a decent last leg of the album. After “Los Cinci” having killer strings and its moody and eccentric melodies, we get into “Noire”. Now, “Noire” might be my favorite here and it’s has the best placement being an absolute slapper before the much needed cool down at the end. The kicks juxtaposed with its strings, horns, and pianos being used so elegantly and with suspense. “Dang, what happened?”, has been living in my head rent free. It’s like a fight song for lovers. Now forgive me for I’m about to say the closer, “Heaven Knows” sounds very heavenly and is appropriate to end things on a wild ride of an album such as this. With arms in the crowd waving side to side, Sudan Archives leaves us with words of wisdom on getting back on our feet. No matter what people think of you or the mistakes you make. Being you is a win. It’s a wholesome message that anyone can appreciate.
There seems to only be a dip in quality after the midpoint. “The BPM” and “Ms. Pac Man” being not as cohesive as the other songs. “The BPM” sounds a little rushed and “Ms. Pac Man” just sounding off. After that, things seem to pick up speed.
This album is hit with so many slappers and bangers. If you want deep lyrics mixed with dance heavy beats and melodies, this is your haven. Sudan Archives has shown us she’s a force to be reckoned with and shows she’s not just “the violin gal”. She’s an incredible artist with many talents and has provided us with something so bold and motivating. In W Magazine, she said she wanted to make the album more “dance’y”, so with the help of producers in Detroit and instrumentalists in Chicago, they combined their powers to make this fun project. It is a fun escapism, but it is also empowering. Parks also said, “I want people to feel powerful when they hear it, and to understand that the power is within you.”
FAVORITE TRACKS: DEAD, COME AND FIND YOU, TOUCH ME, A BUG’S LIFE, THE NATURE OF POWER, MY TYPE, SHE’S GOT PAIN, DAVID & GOLIATH, NOIRE, HEAVEN KNOWS
LEAST FAVORITE: MS. PAC MAN
You can purchase this album on Bandcamp and her discography is also available for streaming.
It was around 2018 I saw a YouTube music video of “Proud of Me” by England’s Mahalia. It was an alternative R&B soul and hip-hop single that was uplifting about someone being filled with gratitude. The verses by Mahalia herself and the chorus was already hitting, but then came Little Simz’s turn and I was completely blown away. Not only does she flow so well over the beat with such speedy ease, but is also able to implement her poetry like comfort food for the soul. I followed her works and listened to her third album Grey Area and was astounded that she is able to tell her stories and her blights in so many different ways. Grey Area was so memorable and hard to beat. Even the critically acclaimed and ambitious Sometimes I Might Be Introvert album was not able to match it in my opinion, despite me loving this grandiose album too. Little Simz or Simbiatu Abisola Abiola Ajikawo has grown up in London most of her life and knew she wanted to perform at a young age shown that she performed in TV series or taking dance classes. But her real passion is music. It’s in her blood. She makes mixtapes and uploads on Soundcloud with those creative juices flowing in her mind and her bars. If you listen to her lyricism and her sound back then, it is a night and day difference now. Understandable, since she’s been working her craft for over a decade now. Her rapping style is not only smooth to listen to, but her words can cut like sharp teeth against her offenders. Or you can hear the most self reflective music and be transported into the new world with words of wisdom that some people never get to see even with their third eye. If Chris Rock asks me my top five, then Little Simz would be in that list. She’s that spectacular. I couldn’t get into No Thank You, but there were still a handful of tracks that were amazing. The swagger, the wisdom, and the emotional roller coaster ride Lotus provides are great perks to this jazz rap album. When she talked to the The Guardian, she said she wasn’t confident about this release. It was made in a fit of rage and hardship when the conflict with producer Inflo (of Sault) has made her life hell with being owed in the millions. A shame, since they both worked on the masterpiece that is Grey Area, but her need to make this album is a calling. It sounds like a call for justice. She’s at her low and the meaning of Lotus is that it’s the flower that grows in harsh conditions. This flower has thorns, beauty, and memorability. This album is a warrior with a bandolier of these superb memorable tracks. This texture and instrumental palette makes me revisit this jazz rap album again and again. But not only that. Simz’s words and teeth are the boost I need.
“Thief” gives off scary energy to the point that they have these wolf howls. The thief, Simz refers to is Inflo who has stolen what she is owed. The background vocals of the chorus feels like ghosts laughing and mocking at a tormented soul. This diss is so catchy. She even makes it really personal and push Inflo’s buttons by saying she feels sorry for his wife (Cleo Sol). The diss continues with “Flood” with these angry battle ready kicks and a feature from our man, Obongjayar. It’s no coincidence he has collaborated with talents such as Simz and Annahstasia, but Obongjayar deserves his flowers too. But Simz continues the fight and means business by fighting business men. “Flood” is criticism of record labels being described as snakes, hyenas, and clones. These first two tracks have got me pumped up. But we then pump the brakes on “Young” with these bass licks, but Simz shows she’s got independence to survive. She’s being cheeky here, because she knows nothing scares her, since she’s already clawed out of the abyss. No looking back. “Only” sounds like a cool samba with this very glam chorus by Lydia Kitto. She delivers great quotes like “It’s funny how they always wanna hate to love.” She’s on top of the world with the haters just festering on the bottom away from her ocean view. “Free” is nice disco throwback with the background vocals and these ornate strings that makes the whole song so smooth. The song just exudes positive energy. If one needs wisdom to achieve peace there are a lot of great helpful tips here. There are tips like don’t succumb to fear, love yourself, accept real love that is sincere, etc. Little Simz becomes a self help book without the marketing or moral posturing, because she says you must love yourself in the mirror unconditionally. Speaking of peace, we go into this absolutely breathtaking guitar loop and distant singer saying ‘she’s got to find some of peace of mind’. “Peace” is probably the most beautiful song here to the point that it gets me emotionally teary-eyed. Peace is not achieved by avoiding all that is negative and never failing, but learning to live with it and embracing those bad things. Easier said and done yes. It sounds close to being spiritual with references of religion. It says love is the currency and minimalism doesn’t mean you spend less. And of course, Moses Sumney and Miraa May guides us to a safe exit out. “Hollow” sounds like someone contemplating on the stage and reminiscing their past. She goes through some spoken word and she goes into a monologue as if she’s on the stage alone with her thoughts and memories about those who wronged her. It’s a very cinematic moment here. “Lion” is a cool cut with Obongjayar up for round two as a stellar feature. She boasts some more and rubs it in their face! “Enough” sounds so sinister with these xylophones and bass guitar that it gave me a frozen stank face. A catchy hook on “don’t make me pull the plug” along with these unhinged artistic liberties and vocals that signals for you to get out of her way. She’s still hungry for success as she is not sated. We go into this profound dialogue between Simz and Wretch 32 that plays her brother in this story. Even though, Wretch 32 is not her brother, the love, the frustration, the worry, and the longing for bonding, made me convinced they are true siblings. It feels like this song was very personal for Simz and maybe for Wretch as these words seem to be from the heart. All she wants is a phone call from him now and then. It’s a back and forth that can constitute as cinema on film. Things seem desolate on the titular track, “Lotus”. Little Simz goes aggressive on this one as it feels like she has so much trauma and endless baggage under her belt. It makes you curious on how one is able to survive through all this hardship and a rough environment. But now she equips her hardship for words to the next one feeling down to get up and try the fuck again. “In my pain is a glory.”, says Michael Kiwanuka in “Lotus”. The penultimate track, “Lonely” is ornate by Simz feeling really down herself after saying all these motivational words, she regresses. We all feel that. You find yourself high on your medicine when you stop thinking about that toxic friend and then a wave of sadness hits you when you feel the cold betrayal again, even when they’re not there anymore. The negativity comes and goes. They always do, as it is very natural and human to feel these cycles of sadness. The curtain closes on “Blue”, as it sounds epic, grand, but somber by utilizing these minimal instruments and this cowboy whistling. In this closer, she doesn’t touch on her struggles anymore, but extends her hands to those in dire need and the world being against them as well. It almost sounds like she’s in tears in a few spots here. Sampha lets us sit in our thoughts as this song sounds like a sad ending and a battle lost. However, she hopes people will get out of their ruts, whatever they may be.
“Hollow” and “Lonely” has great song writing, however only sound wise I couldn’t get into them. They are still recommended listens. The caveats this album has are damn specks.
Lotus has strong instruments, hooks, melodies, and even strong features. It’s also very accessible as hip-hop fans and jazz heads would dig this. It’s so tough to pick a favorite between this album and Grey Area. This album has so many constant hits. They don’t need to be hard hitting trunk thumpin’ bangers, but the art resonates with you emotionally. What makes Simz such a profound rapper, is that she is able to tell a myriad of ways to uplift people. She builds a positive mindset and narrative to uplift you, hug you, and when backed to a corner, defend you. She states this album was made for her to heal her wounds, but yet, is impactful enough to indirectly be able to dress and cure our wounds as well. Maybe we needed this album too? Her last three lines were hauntingly profound:
“Would you still do it with no guarantee?”
“You’re either a savin’ grace or you’re a disturbance.”
“What do you do when given your purpose?”
She asks will you blossom or die? She gives you words that can save the soul. Now it’s time for the souls to save the world.
She hails from Los Angeles, one that is named Annahstasia Enuke. A very talented artist with their foot in the door of many crafts, she signed a record deal at the early age of 17. She shared some thoughts with Crack Magazine, that she hasn’t been a good fit with the industry and she knew in her heart, that her hunger as a musical artist hasn’t come to light at that age. Come years later, Annahstasia took the reins and independently released her works being some singer-songwriter EPs, which the genre seems to be her forte. I’ve stumbled onto this album many months after its release last June and I am grateful I discovered Tether now. For a debut album, Annahstasia has absolutely got me in a spell with this chamber folk album. It’s so impressive that this is her first album being released right out the gate, that carries so much emotional weight. There are some minimal winds, keys, and percussion instruments used here and there, but mostly acoustic guitar has been the bread and butter of this quiet and intimate LP. But the star and primary weapon used here is Annahstasia’s captivating voice that makes you drop everything what you’re doing and listen to her dulcet tones. I see the comparisons online with folk singer Kara Jackson being her contemporary. Her voice is at a tenor range with husky and smoky qualities, which she has stated was tough to work with production wise until she found the right audio engineer. But the stage that is utilized in Tether is so open and still, that you can feel every breath of emotion she pushes into her lyrics. You are taken to a room to be alone with both her and your thoughts. She takes advantages of the pauses between bars and lets us process in silence. There are times in this album I clench my lips and shut my eyes on how great the song writing and musical highs gets in this. If this album reaches your soul, then that’s because you have the self-reflection and emotional depth to resonate with this album. It does many wonders.
“Be Kind” sounds like a bittersweet goodbye to a person that she wishes to mend the cracks between them. The second half is such a soft moment and an epiphany on how much she already has changed. “Villain” with its cinematic crescendo from start to finish takes us to an emotional peak. This other person has done her wrong with the line, “You think you’re some single judging jury”, yet she’ll gladly take the badge of villain in this story with great pride despite of what really happened. “Unrest” has us looking outside the windowsill with arms folded around us. Why worry about the outside that might hurt us, as long as that person we care about is here with us? “Take Care of Me” are gentle hands manifested to take care of this fragile being. Annahstasia describes herself as porcelain, pleading she might get damaged by someone who doesn’t care as much. Then we have our man, Obongjayar being a feature on “Slow”. Excited he’s collaborating with high talents and I’m excited to talk about another collab he’s done with Little Simz (post coming soon *wink *wink). Obongjayar matches Annahstasia’s energy and is locked in with her serenity and grace. Their chemistry is strong and the chorus is haunting, as they’re being passed back and forth on both pairs of my ears into a strong outro. “Waiting” has this country rock flair with someone’s patience being tested and wavered for a loved one who might not return. “Overflow” is the most lively of the whole album with this energetic strumming of the guitar. Powerful lines like “Everybody knows the child prodigy, but who’s saving space for the goldfish in her cage?” makes the persecution very tangible. Annahstasia just pours her heart out for this person that she’s made sacrifices for and wanting them to hear that. Will this love be reciprocated? Or will it be unrequited? After a spoken word poetry interlude, we go into “Silk and Velvet” that starts off with Annahstasia saying she’s tired. She’s tired of all the horrific things happening around her and copes by becoming someone who is not a moralist and an anti-capitalist. The ending leaves us hanging and it suddenly makes her a different person than before, maybe someone who follows the status quo, but with more resolve and self-awareness. Even though, “Satisfy Me” hasn’t left me satisfied, the album did stick the landing with the last song with “Believer”. The tone on the closer shows the character is much more resilient, but her bond for the other does not weaken. The question she asks as the song dies out shows how much more love she has can give. Thank goodness the LP ends in an emotional high.
Not only “Satisfy Me” sounds not as interesting instrumentally as the other songs, but the songwriting doesn’t get a hold of me as the others do. But other than that. There are few caveats for me in this album.
For anyone looking for peace or has found peace, I am telling you to give this a spin. Just thinking about the creative boost she got from this album makes me excited with anticipation if Tether is the bar. It’s about someone who is not afraid of who they are. The album being quiet doesn’t mean it’s weak. Its emotion is its strength. They embrace themselves. In that Crack Magazine interview, Annahstasia attributes her creativity of Tether to trying to find her ground with her Nigerian roots. She states she found some of it in her singing with some regions of Nigeria. It has healed her. So, now she has found her peace and is able to pluck our heartstrings with her lovely sound. If there’s something that anchors you down, Annahstasia is telling us you can let go of this emotional tether. Because even though the world and its people can be such a pain, there is no weakness in letting go.
FAVORITE TRACKS: BE KIND, VILLAIN, UNREST, SLOW, WAITING, OVERFLOW, SILK AND VELVET, BELIEVER
LEAST FAVORITE: SATISFY ME
You can purchase this album on Bandcamp and her discography is also available for streaming.
So, I didn’t know much about DJ/electronic producer, Cahl Sel from San Francisco. Jasper Sharp going under the moniker of Cahl Sel, has performed at the back of DJ venues or radio broadcasts for quite some time. On his website, he has archived his past gigs that vary from a chill atmosphere to groovy house. Listening to these streams made me believe he knows his craft. I discovered him through high praises from Pitchfork (RIP) on the album and was curious on how this IDM record made them tick. As of right now, he has two EPs under his belt and this album being his debut. Being a fan of IDM and wanting more works like the Animatronics album by Rolando Simmons that I wrote about, I ventured into Traces. And what I got after listening to the opening track was something so gratifying, I knew this record was going to be something special. This all electronic record front to back has some of the most amazing melodies and percussive elements that just soothes the soul. Ambient techno being the heart of this project is such a treat for the ones who want to be engaged into the danceable music, but being put at ease as well. Even the interludes can be enticing. One other album that I recall that takes me into the same headspace was Skee Mask’s iconic Pool as fans of that album would definitely vibe with this one. The whole thing is cosmic, catchy, punchy, and meditative as this album is encased behind glass that you can break for emergencies if one feels down. I beseech you to listen to this and much serotonin will fill your mental cup.
“Blink” is such a great entry to the pearly gates as we start with these tapered pad fills that feels like a dance floor along with these hand claps. However, “Blink” does a rug pull and a light with its lens flare has shined down on us with this elongated glossy synth lead that sets the mood of the rest of the album. This is the kind of music that heals the soul. “Call to Mind”‘s synth leads are straight out of a planetarium and is reminiscent to works of old works of µ-Ziq. The swelling of this track going back and forth as well as these squelchy sounds near the end adds to the exoticism showing this world has its own nature. “Livin” being short as it is, was very moving and is a great bridge to the mellow “Clear” track. I feel very nostalgic with “Clear” with the hi-hats being delicate as they are and whatever synth recipe Sharp has used to keep up the otherworldly aesthetic. It’s all layered perfectly with many different textures just floating in the air. Whatever soundscape Sharp has achieved on “The Game” is nothing short of spectacular as we get triangles and wind chimes as well as this sound pack that has this sort of howling air that adds to the mystery of this place. The percussive elements have been removed on “Regeneration” as we have crackling radio static and these ambient sounds that come and fade. This cascading arc of this track is a must listen for ambient heads. It sounds like something Paulline Anna Strom would compose or be a fan of. In the next track “Halflife”, what initially sounds like muted hi-hats that emulate spoons to become this track’s heartbeat. This ominous drone in the background makes it haunting, but you don’t feel in danger in anyway shape or form. Then this upbeat acid synth comes in and the tension just floats away. The kicks come in and you just imagine all the wildlife in this strange world just living their best life. “Halflife” has turned into such a fun bop and the bouncy synth leads make it the most danceable out of all of these tracks. Then this small interlude that is the bridge for the next track is one of the most beautiful things I’ve heard of this year. You have these fluttering electronics and grandiose horns coming in like a warm welcome. It sounds like I’m below a spaceship about to be beamed into the sky. It kind of emulates an orchestra warm up if I do say so myself. Sharp didn’t need to go this hard on an interlude, but it’s one of the most memorable things from this album and so damn cinematic. Another favorite of mine is “Left Eye” being it sounds like a VHS nightcore aesthetic painted within a science museum. The sound just eases you into visualizing the future that has been provided for you. The future! Behold! The heartbeat is set in rhythm with pads and hi-hats on “Alone” and these bright synthesizer soundscapes are such great components to be admired as they are all in perfect harmony within each other. We end things strong with “Leaf” taking us in orbit of any planet you can summon in your head. Despite the synth leads making you feel like a speck on the black sea, you don’t feel anxiety, but serenity. It’s a great one to close with it being so peaceful.
Some misses are present on this album for me, because it either sounds too esoteric that it has no effect on me or the melodies aren’t crafted as well as they are compared to the other tracks. “Ancient and Distant” did sound like a clashing mess to me. Its layering kind of takes me out of the tranquil atmosphere Sharp has achieved in other tracks. However, the album as a whole still succeeds in world building.
I am so ecstatic on what Cahl Sel will provide next. Traces is calming music that doesn’t make you lethargic. It’s old school IDM without being too derivative. It conjures imagery of outer space that we want to get lost in. This is one of the most beautiful albums in my scope that has moved me to a different spiritual plane. In an interview with Thoughts of a Certain Sound, Sharp has stated this project took four months to produce, but embellished it to his vision for many more years. He sounds like he cares much about how his art would look as a whole and you can tell how meticulous he is in trimming and pruning this ethereal entity. He states there’s not really an order that is necessary of these tracks to listen to, but nevertheless the order is perfect and his father who is also an electronic producer (Spacetime Continuum) has helped him out too. I’m smashing that follow button on Cahl Sel, as I’m booking another trip to another dimension. His dimension.
FAVORITE TRACKS: BLINK, CLEAR, THE GAME, REGENERATION, HALFLIFE, RHIZOMA, LEFT EYE, ALONE, LEAF
A Lot on My Crate 