BLACK PEAKS: Statues
On April 8, 2016, this underground band from Brighton, England released their debut album, Statues. It beings with “Glass Built Castles” a song with heavy drums at the forefront followed by headbanging-inducing guitar riffs. This chaotic intro transitions to a chill, instrumental melody that introduces the aggressive yet soft voice of lead singer Will Gardner. The whole song is a great combination of hard-hitting riffs and melodious intersections. It was the song that first caught my attention and I believe there is a reason for that, as it is arguably the best song on Statues.
But just because “Glass Built Castles” may be the best song does not mean it is my favorite. When the whole album is said and done, the song that made me have an eargasm was “For Those That Sleep for a Thousand Years Shall Soon Wake.” The song acts as an introduction for the song “To Take The First Turn” and begins with an ominous intro that makes you uneasy and adds suspense as the finale approaches. Then, immediately afterwards, the last song comes on and rocks everybody and everything, as it is the musical equivalent of controlled chaos.
It was something that I have never heard before, and I have been listening to all sorts of metal since I was a child. This album is a great choice for any metalhead that is looking for some progressive song that rip your ears off.
RADIOHEAD: Kid A
Ohhhhh boy! Do I have a treat for you. Kid A, widely regarded as Radiohead’s riskiest and best album, had the potential to make or break them. Eighteen years later, here we are reviewing it, so I think it’s obvious what happened.
The whole album is a wild ride. It’s music that is not easy to listen to, but I think that is the best part about Kid A. It really makes you think. It is possible you may not like it on the first listen, as did I, but the more you listen the better it gets.
“Everything In Its Right Place” starts it off with an overwhelming yet underwhelming introduction of a song with the beat of the song being so simple yet so grand because, as the song goes on, more and more little details are added without it being abruptly introduced. One thing is consistent throughout the album: Thom Yorke’s vocals. He uses his voice more as an instrument than a way to deliver lyrics. It is the magic dust that makes everything come together.
My favorite song on the album? It is hands down “Optimistic”. What can I say, I’m a sucker for guitar. It is the most “normal” song off the whole album and believe me, it will not be the fist one that catches your attention. People who are looking to expand their musical pallet and want to experience something that is off-putting yet reassuring should definitely check out this masterpiece.
JOEY BADA$$: ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$
Controversial? Maybe. Worthy of your time? Absolutely. As you can tell from the album title, there is something off about the way Joey names things. Along with his music he talks about injustices in America. Irony is a big part of how he composes his music. Instead of talking about the good America he strives to expose the bad and the ugly,which is why he added the KKK to replace the C in America.
Hip hop has been mainstream for almost four decades, and over the years it has changed and evolved. These days it’s all about low-fi and trap, but Joey Bada$$ gives listeners a throwback to the classics. For example, in “Temptation” he writes “The government been tryna take away what’s ours/ It’s really all about the money and the power/ I just wanna see my people empowered”
The beat for his songs have an easy going flow and he talks about topics that affect the black community in this day and age.
In “TEMPTATION,” a song about inequality in the United States specifically targeted towards the black community. The intro and outro are samples of the speech Zianna Oliphant gave, who is a nine-year old girl from Charlotte, North Carolina. She speaks on the police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott.
Not only is the album an inspiring piece, but it also its just sounds so damn good. The beats, the flow,everything that comes out of Mr. Bada$$ is sincere and full of heart. This is and should be for everybody. Even if you do not like it musically, the message it sends and the way in which it is told should be enough to draw anybody in.
