#10

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Infest The Rats' Nest

I'm rather new to this band, as most who know me would know. I've heard their name float around for years, but only recently have I really begun to dive into their material. For whatever reason, I started here - and I'm so glad I did. It's clear to me, having now heard this LP and a number of the ones preceding it, that King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard refuse to be confined to any genre; they'd rather explore a variety of fields, which is rather refreshing at a time when a substantial portion of modern music is all the same. Over the course of this particular record, a 35-minute dystopian tale of a group of rebels that must leave behind a crumbling Earth and settle on Venus, the Australian psych-rockers traverse the terrain of good old-fashioned thrash metal. In its entirety, Infest The Rats' Nest serves more than just one purpose. Yes, of course it shreds incredibly hard, but it's also a call to action, warning us to make positive change for our future while the power is still ours. There is no Planet B.











#9

Djo, Twenty Twenty

Having been greatly impressed with Joe Keery's output in Post Animal, I was pretty genuinely bummed when he parted ways with them just as they were beginning to ascend to a new level. I thought for sure he was done with music, always hoping I'd turn out to be wrong. Thank God. Over the summer, Keery returned fearless as ever, debuting his new project Djo with the single "Ro

ddy

"; it was like he had never gone anywhere. The track immediately sent my expectations flying high, and the two that he released following it ("Chateau (Feel Alright)", "Mortal Projections") only pushed them more. To no surprise, the record finally saw release, and came out absolutely phenomenal. From top to bottom, the whole thing is an impeccably produced psychedelic goldmine. If you're a fan of Tame Impala or Mac DeMarco, or even the newer lounge-inspired Arctic Monkeys, believe me when I say you won't want to wait any longer to give this one a listen.













#8

Brittany Howard, Jaime

Though I do quite miss Alabama Shakes, I'm much more than content with the music that its frontwoman Brittany Howard has brought to the table this year. On her debut solo album Jaime, the Southern rock-and-roll queen covers all the bases; faith in God ("He Loves Me"), embracing personal identity ("Georgia"), even the racially-motivated hatred that came with growing up in the South ("Goat Head"). Every inch of this LP is remarkably honest and personal, and of course, Howard stops at nothing to make the listener feel as though they're living in the stories she tells.













#7

Lizzo, Cuz I Love You

Over the last few years, Lizzo has been spreading a very important message throughout the music world: Love yourself. Whether you're tall, short, black, white, thick or thin ... love yourself. On her newest album Cuz I Love You, a charming collection of unstoppable bangers and feel-good hits totaling just over a half-hour, it's a mantra that continues to show itself; perhaps the most direct example is the track "Soulmate", on which Lizzo proclaims: "I'm my own soulmate / I know how to love me / I know that I'm always gonna hold me down." It's almost as if she's encouraging the listener to uplift themselves by repeating after her, probably because that's exactly the case. Of course, there's plenty of other music out there you can listen to that would send the same message, but you'll be hard-pressed to find any that can make you believe in it the same way that Lizzo does.













#6

The National, I Am Easy To Find

The National have always delivered such music, and it's more apparent than ever on their latest record. You could play it on low volume in the background, listening more passively than actively, but you'd ultimately be missing out on the heartbreaking, yet beautiful story delivered with the aid of Matt Berninger's whip-smart lyrical ability; and even if you're more inclined to process stories visually, the Mike Mills-directed short film that accompanied its release offers that option. I would argue that this record is the band's most adventurous to date, if only for the depth of its narrative, or its notable use of guest vocalists throughout the tracklist. Its predecessor Sleep Well Beast is a close second, experimenting plenty with digital audio manipulation and electronic instruments, but this one goes the extra mile. Plenty can be said for the allure of music that demands undivided attention from a listener.have always delivered such music, and it's more apparent than ever on their latest record. You could play it on low volume in the background, listening more passively than actively, but you'd ultimately be missing out on the heartbreaking, yet beautiful story delivered with the aid ofwhip-smart lyrical ability; and even if you're more inclined to process stories visually, thethat accompanied its release offers that option. I would argue that this record is the band's most adventurous to date, if only for the depth of its narrative, or its notable use of guest vocalists throughout the tracklist. Its predecessoris a close second, experimenting plenty with digital audio manipulation and electronic instruments, but this one goes the extra mile.













#5

PUP, Morbid Stuff

Many human beings have undoubtedly had that moment where they got lost in their psyche, and intrusive, morbid thoughts started to come out of the blue. Like if anyone they've slept with is dead. Stefan Babcock is one of those human beings, and he's not afraid to tell us all about it on the latest record from PUP. In fact, not only does he tell us, he beats it into us (with the assistance of his trusty bandmates, of course). Like any LP that the Canadian punk quartet have released before, Morbid Stuff is packed to the gills with unbridled rage and aggravation that you can almost physically feel, only this time the themes are more focused than ever. And when Babcock isn't musing on his own random fucked-up thoughts, he might be questioning the sincerity of the lyrics he writes about grappling with problems ("Full Blown Meltdown"), or painting a bleak picture of someone else's turbulent, depressing life story ("Scorpion Hill"). Whatever he's doing, it's sure reeling me in.













#4

Thom Yorke, Anima

Thom Yorke is a blessing to the music world. From Radiohead to Atoms For Peace to his solo work, the man simply isn't capable of making bad music. You can call me a "stan", or a "fanboy", or whatever name you like; but my stance will never change. On his latest record, Yorke dives deep into themes of anxiety and dystopia. The title Anima comes from his obsession with dreams, and is a direct reference to psychoanalyst Carl Jung's concepts of the anima and animus . The production, lyricism and instrumental arrangements throughout the record are immaculate, as always, and even hypnotic. One of the things that I love most about Thom's solo music is how he carries over some of the distinctive charm of his other projects, while still doing things differently enough that it doesn't feel recycled or overused. The balance is truly perfect. With every record he releases, there's always a newer, more unfamiliar experience to be had - and I'm always here for it. I feel like anything I'm about to write probably goes without saying, but I'm gonna say it all anyway.is a blessing to the music world. Fromtoto his solo work, the man simply isn't capable of making bad music. You can call me a "stan", or a "fanboy", or whatever name you like; but my stance will never change. On his latest record, Yorke dives deep into themes of anxiety and dystopia. The titlecomes from his obsession with dreams, and is a direct reference to psychoanalyst's concepts of the. The production, lyricism and instrumental arrangements throughout the record are immaculate, as always, and even hypnotic. One of the things that I love most about Thom's solo music is how he carries over some of the distinctive charm of his other projects, while still doing things differently enough that it doesn't feel recycled or overused. The balance is truly perfect. With every record he releases, there's always a newer, more unfamiliar experience to be had - and I'm always here for it.













#3

Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?

Four times I gave this thing a look, three felt so boring and textbook. I wanted to just give up, but one more was all it took. That is to say, I had to try a good few times to get into the newest record from Billie Eilish. And just as I was growing more certain it'd never be for me, something happened. After a few of my friends pointed me in the right direction, I read up on the techniques used by Finneas to craft the sounds on it, then gave it one more listen ... and I found my whole perspective had shifted. His minimalist approach to the overall production makes for an undeniably unique listening experience, especially when paired with his sister Billie's evocative lyricism and whispery vocal delivery. At many moments, these two elements of the record's creation flawlessly weave together; take for example the track "listen before i go", where she conjures the image of being on the edge of a rooftop, about to jump. At the track's end, she falls forward into the air as the faint sounds of emergency vehicles are heard in the background. It's utterly heartbreaking, but effective. In a scene full of industry puppets, nobody seems to be able to tell Billie what to do. Hats off.









#2

Wallows, Nothing Happens

Wallows is one that sees the dynamic lyrical duo of Dylan Minnette and Braeden Lemasters working together to illustrate the lies, transitional periods, heartbreaks and everyday ups and downs of life as we know it. They do so with an irresistibly catchy, fun style that's very easy to get hooked on right from the first moments. The album's title was no new idea, either; Minnette stated in an interview with MTV that he and his bandmates had decided years in advance on calling their first record Nothing Happens. He jokes about how such a title would open the door for negative review headlines, before drummer Cole Preston chimes in to give the specific example "Nothing happens on Nothing Happens". I, for one, would argue persistently that something definitely happens. Something magical and inspiring. Something I won't soon forget. Here, we have an album that absolutely never got the love it deserves. Nearly every other critic focused entirely too much on the surface level of it, making no attempt to explore its depths, so allow me to be the educator. The debut studio album from California indie rock bandis one that sees the dynamic lyrical duo ofandworking together to illustrate the lies, transitional periods, heartbreaks and everyday ups and downs of life as we know it. They do so with an irresistibly catchy, fun style that's very easy to get hooked on right from the first moments. The album's title was no new idea, either; Minnette stated inthat he and his bandmates had decided years in advance on calling their first record. He jokes about how such a title would open the door for negative review headlines, before drummerchimes in to give the specific example. I, for one, would argue persistently thatdefinitely happens. Something magical and inspiring. Something I won't soon forget.













#1

Tyler, The Creator, IGOR

So, here we are. Top of the list. The artistic evolution of Tyler, The Creator has been an absolute joy to watch over the years. Since the beginning of the decade, he's gone from rambunctious wild card vigor (Goblin, Wolf), to a sound of curious, childlike wonder (Flower Boy), and now to assuming the role of a devious, lovesick fiend on his newest record, IGOR. This entire thing is, without a shadow of a doubt, the greatest example of storytelling I've come across in the entire past decade.





look of the main character, every piece of the narrative is crucial. It tells of a boy in love with another boy, though one thing stands in the way; his girlfriend. Right down to the name andof the main character, every piece of the narrative is crucial. It tells of a boy in love with another boy, though one thing stands in the way; his girlfriend.





The first chunk of the tracklist (from "IGOR'S THEME" up to "RUNNING OUT OF TIME") sees Tyler professing his love for the one he desires.





His manipulative alter-ego, Igor, begins to take him over on the song "NEW MAGIC WAND", where he makes his first effort to come between them ("I need to get her out the picture / She's really fucking up my frame / She's not developed like we are"), even threatening to kill the both of them ("You under oath / Now pick a side, and if you don't, I'll pick you both / It's not a joke / Murder, she wrote"). At the end of "A BOY IS A GUN*", after further pursuing his supposed soulmate, Igor turns his back on him ("I ain't gon' repeat myself, but stay the fuck away from me") before coming to terms with being controlled by infatuation on the song "PUPPET".





"GONE, GONE / THANK YOU" and "I DON'T LOVE YOU ANYMORE" see Igor falling out of love, and becoming Tyler once again. The storyline of the album is brought to a close with "ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?", a track where Tyler wrestles with the thought of whether he and the boy he once loved can still remain friends, despite all that happened between them.





Not only does IGOR consist of some of Tyler's most experimental, left-field production choices yet, it can also be construed as a statement on his sexuality, a topic he's seemed more comfortable delving into lately.





In conclusion, this album is a lot of things, not one of them negative. It's incredibly appealing, memorable, relatable, and certainly one of the most exciting things to happen in the world of hip-hop (and pop) music in recent years.

















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