9
votes
This week's album and EP releases
Here's a list of a things that came out in this past week, up through Friday. Of course, there's no way to be completely comprehensive with this and we avoided including things where information was too lacking, so feel free to mention anything that isn't on here that you think is worth mentioning. Beyond that, if you have any thoughts of any of these albums, it would be great to hear them :)
| Artist | Title | Genre(s) | Song Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 311 | Voyager | Alternative Rock | Song.link |
| Al Foster | Inspirations & Dedications | Jazz | Song.link |
| André Bratten | Pax Americana | Tech House | Song.link |
| BOOKA600 | Word to LA | Trap Rap, Pop Rap | Song.link |
| Various Artists | BTS WORLD (Original Soundtrack) | K-Pop, Video Game Music, Electropop | Song.link |
| Before You Exit | Love, Pain, & Retrospect | Indie Pop | Song.link |
| Biglemoi | Permanent Vacation- EP | Indie Pop, Indie Rock | Song.link |
| Bloodred Hourglass | Godsend | Melodic Death Metal | Song.link |
| Blue Lab Beats | Vibe Central- EP | Nu Jazz, Instrumental Hip Hop | Song.link |
| Brijean | Walkie Talkie | House, Alternative R&B, Balearic Beat | Song.link |
| Chase Atlantic | PHASES | Emo Rap, Alternative R&B, Electropop | Song.link |
| Chris Brown | Indigo | Contemporary R&B, Pop Rap | Song.link |
| Chris Staples | Holy Moly | Indie Folk | Song.link |
| Chuck Mead | Close to Home | Country | Song.link |
| Chung Ha | Flourishing- EP | K-Pop, Dance-Pop, Contemporary R&B | Song.link |
| Concrete Dream | Concrete Dream | Noise | Song.link |
| DCMBR | EndlessWinter | Contemporary R&B | Song.link |
| Daniel Caesar | CASE STUDY 01 | Neo-Soul, Contemporary R&B | Song.link |
| Eden xo | The Question- EP | Electropop | Song.link |
| Eearz | Missing ElemEnt | Trap Rap, Southern Hip Hop | Song.link |
| Erin Durant | Islands | Indie Folk, Country | Song.link |
| Evie Irie | 5 Weeks In LA- EP | Singer/Songwriter | Song.link |
| Foy Vance | From Muscle Shoals | Singer/Songwriter | Song.link |
| Freddie Gibbs & Madlib | Bandana | Gangsta Rap, Jazz Rap | Song.link |
| G-Eazy | B-Sides - EP | Pop Rap | Song.link |
| Girl Friday | Fashion Conman - EP | Indie Rock | Song.link |
| Great Good Fine OK | GGFOUR | Indietronica, Synthpop | Song.link |
| Griffin House | Rising Star | Singer/Songwriter | Song.link |
| He Is Legend | White Bat | Alternative Metal | Song.link |
| Horse Jumper | So Divine | Slowcore | Song.link |
| Ingrid Michaelson | Stranger Songs | Electropop, Adult Contemporary, Future Bass | Song.link |
| J Balvin & Bad Bunny | Oasis | Reggaeton | Song.link |
| Jade Jackson | Wilderness | Americana, Alt-Country | Song.link |
| JayDaYoungan & Yungeen Ace | Can’t Speak On It | Trap Rap | Song.link |
| K Trap | No Magic | UK Drill | Song.link |
| Key! | So Emotional | Trap Rap | Song.link |
| Kim Petras | Clarity | Electropop, Contemporary R&B | Song.link |
| Kylie Minogue | Step Back In Time: The Definitive Collection | Dance-Pop | Song.link |
| Landon Cube | Orange | Alternative R&B | Song.link |
| Marcos Valle | Sempre | Boogie, Synth Funk | Song.link |
| Mindi Abair And The Boneshakers | No Good Deed | Jazz | Song.link |
| Molly | All That Ever Could Have Been | Shoegaze | Song.link |
| Night Moves | Can You Really Find Me | Indie Pop | Song.link |
| Novelist | Reload King | Grime | Soundcloud |
| Outer Spaces | Gazing Globe | Indie Rock | Song.link |
| Peggy Gou / Hiver / I:Cube | DJ-Kicks | Minimal Techno, House | "DJ Mix" Song.link - "EP" Song.link |
| Poppy | Choke - EP | Electro-Industrial, Electropop | Song.link |
| Ralo | Free Ralo | Trap Rap | Song.link |
| Sofia Bolt | Waves | Singer/Songwriter, Indie Rock | Song.link |
| Sofia Karlberg | Spotless Mind - EP | Pop | Song.link |
| The Alarm | Sigma | Pop | Song.link |
| The Allman Betts Band | Down to the River | Southern Rock | Song.link |
| The Appleseed Cast | The Fleeting Light Of Impermanence | Post-Rock | Song.link |
| The Black Keys | "Let's Rock" | Garage Rock, Boogie Rock | Song.link |
| Thom Yorke | ANIMA | Glitch Pop, Ambient Pop | Song.link |
| Twista | Summer 96 | Trap Rap | Song.link |
| Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown | Truth & Lies | Blues Rock | Song.link |
| Waterstrider | The Way Out- EP | Indie Rock | Song.link |
| wifisfuneral | Ethernet 2 | Trap Rap | Song.link |
| Yellow Eyes | Rare Field Ceiling | Atmospheric Black Metal | Song.link |
Notes:
If you spot any mistakes, let us know.
Parental Advisory version of all albums linked, so expect NSFW.
G-Eazy - B-Sides, says Single but it's actually an EP.
Novelist - Reload King | No Song.link, linked Soundcloud instead.
Peggy Gou / Hiver / I:Cube - DJ-Kicks | Linked DJ Mix and EP version.
Did anyone else listen? I did right away, and I can't say I'm impressed, sadly. As much as I love Pinata, here Gibbs sounds so tired and disconnected from Madlib's much more expressive and traditionally Madlib-ish beats. Just didn't work much for me outside of "Giannis".
Yes, I love it, been listening to it everyday since it dropped. I think it's a perfect sister album to Pinata, capturing the same energy but going for a more subtle, subdued and darker tone.
Funny you think Gibbs sounds disconnected since, unlike Pinata, Bandana was recorded with both artists in the studio for the first time. Since the beats were actually made for Gibbs this time, you can tell Madlib made them to bring Gibbs to the forefront, and it really pays off.
I think that clash of style is exactly what makes the Madgibbs project so special. Gibbs on his typical trap beats blocks him into a corner of cliche, but Madlib just adds that splash of colour and abstraction that lets Gibb's imagination run far. It really seems like each artist completes the other, Gibbs provides the rock solid foundation that Madlib's production needs to ground itself back to reality, while Madlib lets Gibbs explore every avenue of his psyche (often involving cocaine).
Bananda pretty much cements my feeling that Freddie Gibbs as the best MC alive right now -- he always finds a perfect balance of politics, metaphor, and keepin it real gansta shit. Madlib, need I say more, proves himself to be a living legend, and ever relevent.
My #2 album of 2019 so far, behind Hiding Places.
Also Motherfuck Jeff Sessions.
The thing with Pinata is that you can hardly tell it's Madlib, which sounds harsh but is why that works for me, it's a Freddie Gibbs album that happens to have some surprisingly high quality beats, but they're far from weird or anything. That really suits Gibbs, who at his best can carry the energy of a track all on his own. He's a really engaging dude who really fills space, if you know what I mean. Here, though, it sounds more collaborative in the sense that it's not a Freddie Gibbs album produced by Madlib, it's a Freddie Gibbs x Madlib project...and I don't think that suits Gibbs' strengths. If he has to keep stopping and slowing down, he has nothing left, his energy and delivery is the whole appeal. I'd rather have the beats be used for a new Quas album or given to DOOM or something.
I would've said Gibbs was one of the best around the time of You Only Live 2wice, but I think my interest is starting to dwindle. I can get behind Hiding Places though, I keep a ranking of all the 2019 stuff I listen to and that's at #4.