Goodtime Hustle is an alt-country band from Seattle that’s just released its first full-length release, self-titled Goodtime Hustle. This four-piece group features bandleader Bud Weather on vocals and guitar, Chris Denny on lead guitar, Michael Gagliardo on bass and Tom Lash on drums.
The band states that this is something of a concept album about Weather’s life as a “psychedelic outlaw, with honest and absurd songs about uncommon crime, Kafka-esque punishment and ten grams of make-believe LSD.” They call their music “Folkadelic Con-fusion.” Influences include The Grateful Dead, Steve Earle and Cake, and they boast of “sharing stages with a wide variety of jam bands, straight country acts, psychedelic rockers and folk musicians.” Recording and mixing were by Steven Andrea at Birdhouse Studio in Seattle, Washington with mastering by Mike Hillier at Metropolis Studios, London. My overall impression is that the Goodtime Hustle boys prefer songs with shuffling beats and lots of lyrics, presented with clean, live-in-the-studio performances. There’s 14 songs here so I’ll touch on my favorites. “Skeleton Key” jumps right out with a one-two beat and Allman Brothers harmony guitar licks. The Goodtime Hustle sound is just two guitars, bass and drums fronted by Bud Weather’s mid-range country guy vocals. Lyrically this is the track that sets up the story of the psychedelic outlaw. This is the kind of band where the lead guitarist takes every opportunity to solo, even during the verses, but Chris Denny is great at staying within the bounds of the song while quietly blowing our minds. “Be Here Tonight” has a faster two-step country beat and is the kind of song you can imagine a rowdy dance floor crowd singing along with. Here the story takes an unfortunate turn as our narrator appears to be framed for a drug deal: “I was halfway outta town when they ‘helped me to the ground’ / Said, good ol boy get over here, lookie what we found / Whaddaya know that chump worked like a crystal ball / To think he almost got away, carryin’ it all.” On the group’s Bandcamp page, “Calico” not only has the lyrics but also the chord changes if you want to play along! This is an acoustic, heartland-folk tune with a paramilitary beat. The lyrics seem to describe the events of a different, Medieval time. “Thinking’ Bout You” is a bittersweet lost-love song that features a train-style shuffle beat with expansive picking and strumming. “I can’t say that it’s all been a waste / ‘cos in the end what I’m missing is NOT YOUR FACE!” “Queen’s Garden” has a jaunty walking beat and showcases Weather on “talking” envelope filter guitar. “Lost My Mind” is old time ’20s jazz like the Bonzo Dog Band or the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. The contrast of the crooner vocals with modern lyrics works great. “Turkey Shuffle” is indeed a fast country shuffle with randy thoughts and sweet acoustics, along with a rare bass solo. “The Leaves” features dramatic roiling drums and serious-sounding vocals. Denny’s wailing, melancholic lead guitar is one of his best performances yet, and carries most of the melodic weight. Not sure about the story here but it feels like something weird happened on a deserted island. “Squared Up” has a surprise appearance of a five-string banjo and does indeed sound like a square dance. “Locked From Inside” has a Greek ambience and plays like one of those Monty Python movie songs, with a very quiet, dramatically tense ending. “Since I Been Gone” is a beautiful folk-rock tune of a love affair interrupted, with an interesting variation on the band’s standard shuffle beat; nice chorus harmony too. “Trampling Daisies” interestingly ends the album with a song that could be a spy show theme song, thanks to the snake-like repeating riffs. Denny takes an amazing final solo drenched in echo. These guys have developed a unique sound and play quite well within it, and sometimes just outside it. I’m sure they’ve got plenty more music up their sleeves and I can’t wait to hear it.
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Guitarist Benjamin Corson was born in Paris, and has toured around the world for years with his band Nungan. In 2018, he relocated to New York City to take on new musical challenges; he recorded three albums that explored styles from acoustic to abstract. In his mind, though, he always wanted to cut a solo rock record. Mirage is that dream come true. He’s composed, arranged and mixed the whole thing: seven guitar-drenched, bluesy tracks spanning over forty-five minutes.
Corson is a guitar player first and foremost, and Mirage digs straight in with the instrumental “Cracking the Code,” a fuzzy, groovy, bluesy start. He shows the power of his strong arrangement skills right away: the first five minutes are a pure one-chord jam, and it’s never boring. There are train-whistle guitar licks (eat your heart out, Joe Perry), a Steppenwolf-like breakdown section and some morse code too. Even better, he has Ivan “Funkboy” Bodley on the bass, and, as usual, Funkboy just kills it. Corson is fortunate to have met him at a jam session, and to have enlisted his help. We’ll hear him throughout the record, and his presence is notable. The back half of “Cracking the Code” morphs into a riff-based minor blues, with terrific exposition of the tones you can wrest from a six-string. After that strong start, Corson serves up “Wild and Free,” driven by thick, tuned-down bluesy guitars. The track leans toward sludge-y grunge, except Corson’s chords are sevenths, not seconds. The track features Tom Pitchford on vocals; he has some serious range, and gives himself great backing vocals too. Corson cuts terrific guitar solos, and Funkboy crushes it again on the four-string. It sounds like it was a ton of fun to write and play–this comes through in the recording. Corson’s arrangement skills shine again, as he works in a few short sections to keep things interesting, while still keeping us locked in the main groove. It’s a great rock track. The opening of “Dolion” is a part of the record that I did not like, because of the auto-pan on the mix. Once we are through that section, the band settles into a lovely minor blues with Laurian Daire’s organs swirling underneath. Corson’s guitar tones and lines are again spectacular. The backing oohs and aahs (courtesy of Annie Nangan) add a nice bit of texture. “You Are A Woman Now” continues the backing ooh theme from the prior track, this time under Mareenez Degraff’s stark spoken words. The fuzzy electrics–and Funkboy–return with “MLKDBGCJ,” a groovy, riff-y, bluesy jam with MLK-inspired words over the top. Corson’s guitar solos are ripping here, of course–what else would you expect? “Madseen,” the sixth track, is a bit of a tone poem. A pleasant dream is interrupted by evil-sounding, distorted guitars that wake up the dogs, and, in theory, the humans too, before Corson turns the radio dial and we land on a wide-open guitar piece. The set is capped by the soulful title track. Tim Pitchford is back on the microphone, leading the band through a long track (almost ten minutes’ worth) that doesn’t feel long because of the artist’s skill. There’s a nicely built coda that would make Prince smile. Corson’s Mirage is his dream come true–and our ears benefit. When you need your rock-and-blues guitar fix, this is a terrific spin!
The idea of the “pandemic” album quickly rose in popularity and as quickly as it became a fad it started to feel passe. There’s obviously nothing wrong with the concept but it felt like an over-saturation of the same themes and ideas coming from every corner of music. This brings me to Remy de Laroque. On his press release they mention “Though you’ll never catch Remy de Laroque calling his upcoming Star Code project a ‘pandemic album,’ the multi-talented French born Brooklyn based world rock singer/songwriter developed his fascinating sixth full length collection from songs that emerged spontaneously as a flood of creativity unleashed in that era. Laying the foundation for the release of the full recording later this summer he will drop a four-track EP of the same title June 2, 2022.”
The EP begins with “Bee Dreaming” which starts with a melancholy and pensive sort of flavor. There’s some gorgeous guitar picking and the vocals sound intimate and like they are longing for something. It's a beautiful song with Radiohead type vibes but it also contains some classical guitar that works really well. The energy changes quite a bit on the next song “Always Shine” between the drumming, melodies and delivery. It’s a lot more upbeat and actually reminds me more of bands like Vampire Weekend. I absolutely loved the way the song progressed. The melodies get more and more infectious and the chorus is so well done. I also thought the lyrics were well done with lines like “See that blue patch there / where the wall is broken down / had your peeps just learnt / to get their car to slow down.” Next up is “One Way to Saigon” and this song made me feel like I was in France. It’s an intimate sounding song with intricate guitar picking, upright bass, accordion and very unique percussive elements. The vocals are gorgeous on this song and the hook is subtle but gets stuck in your head. It also contains one of the best bridges I’ve heard in recent memory. “Ballerinas Shadows” is a very hopeful sounding sound that feels like it builds spirit and love. This sentiment is also included in the lyrics. Even a slightly cliche sounding lyric like “I must be strong and just go on” feels powerful because of the delivery and the music that surrounds it. There are a couple of different builds and each one seems to be better than the last. This song had the best grooves in my opinion. The artist goes four for four with this release. Each song presented something new but still felt connected to his signature sound. Recommended.
Jana Pochop is “a self-proclaimed wanderer with a penchant for pop songs and slow drip coffee” from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She moved to Austin in 2006 to become part of the Texas music scene, and has released three solo EP’s and several singles. Her new full-length album is titled The Astronaut.
Because of the pandemic, Pochop was able to collaborate remotely with many of her musical heroes, and they appear on several tracks within this album. Pochop herself sings and plays acoustic guitars, with Shawnee Kilgore sharing lead vocals on four tracks along with Daniel Barrett on background vocals. I’ll note the other musicians when possible. Recording took place at the Congress House Studio in Austin, Texas. Daniel Barrett was the producer, with mixing and mastering by Mark Hallman. Regarding the use of her “remote collaborators,” Pochop notes: “We wanted to maintain the acoustic guitar driven spirit of how I had written the songs, while fleshing them out into something lush and sonically beautiful.” Thematically, “the songs all seem to point to what I refer to as my "ongoing existential crisis" asking why we are here, thinking about huge amount of time that precedes us that make us specks of dust in the grand scheme, but also paying attention to those very important, personal moments we all experience during our time on this planet.” “Head Spin” draws us into a comforting, enveloping world of deep picked acoustic guitars, luminescent keyboards by Frank LoCrasto and lush background vocals by Shawnee Kilgore and Mark Hallman. Pochop’s lead vocals have a sweet, higher pitched quality that somewhat recalls Nanci Griffith without being a carbon copy. The song itself is a great idea, concerning how we all thought the future would be (flying cars, etc.) and how it actually seems to be turning out. Ephraim Owens guests on trumpet solo, giving the track a late ’70s Joni Mitchell vibe. Eric Holden and Sean Hutchinson nail down the bass and drums respectively. In “As Long As It Feels Right” Pochop’s phrasing really does remind me of Nanci Griffith, especially when she says “Minne-SO-ta.” This track has a lovely folk-country feel thanks to the pedal steel, lap steel and ukulele of Lloyd Maines. This song feels like a bittersweet chart buster, and also features bassist Don Dixon (sideman for Mary Chapin Carpenter and producer for R.E.M. and Gin Blossoms). “Matador” continues in the same minor-key vein with more of those expansive chorus vocals and guest Betty Soo on accordion. Coming so close on the hells of “As Long,” it takes a short while to realize it’s every bit as good. The essentially acoustic “The Hard Part” is co-written and harmonized with Shawnee Kilgore, with the interesting addition of flute-like Mellotron by Mark Hallman. The chorus vocals are quite arresting: “It’s a fine, fine line / between the beat and the break of a heart / I guess it’s by design / and that’s the hard part.” Lloyd Maines returns on ace pedal steel for the country-style “Quiet All The Time” with another vocal appearance by Shawnee Kilgore, whose voice matches Pochop’s in tonality and quiet power. She also appears in “Exit Plan” which lyrically nails our current, anxious times and the way we choose to deal with it: “Nostalgia is a drug if it hits you right / Tinsel on the tree, America Online / We keep a pill bottle on the night stand / In case the terrors of the night are sending telegrams / of our Exit Plan.” Uncomfortably close to home! “Solar System” is another picked-acoustic gem that benefits mightily from the expansive cello by Brian Standefer and Mark Hallman’s Mellotron. “Maps” brings Pochop’s concerns full-circle very much like our own mortality, and though it feels sad, it’s certainly a beautiful trip getting there. Brian Standefer again binds the song together with his cello, along with Eliza Gilkyson on background vocals. Pochop is an amazingly talented singer/songwriter and every one of these tracks touched me in some way. I can’t imagine anything holding her back in the future!
Described as the “SPOT-on sound for the NOW crowd” and DIY indie psychedelic guitar pop with a ‘60s garage punk attitude, Fantastic Purple Spots consists of the Austin, Texas duo Barrett Jones (vocals/ guitar) and Dave Junker (vocals/guitar/bass drums). The two met in a class at the University of Wisconsin-Madison when they were both undergraduates. It was the ‘80s, the height of the Paisley Underground.
They were fans of local bands like Plasticland, 27 Various and Liquid Pink. Throughout their twenties and onward the pair both played in bands, Jones in Scorpio Rising (on the 1989 Madslab compilation) and Junker in The Romulans (Prospective Records, Susstones Records), whose cover of the Deviants’ “Billie the Monster” earned time on John Peel’s radio show. By the 2000s, Barrett was in Washington, D.C. and Junker was living in Austin, Texas, where a mutual friend Gunnar Hedman (Isolated Sniffers) had a studio. The two recorded several epic jam sessions at his studio over several years, which was released as The Rrreverberationsss on the 267 lattajja label. Sometime later, the pandemic hit and the two found themselves exchanging musical ideas online: song fragments, guitar riffs, a bass line, a drumbeat – a new world of bedroom music/DIY psychedelic guitar pop possibilities opened, and Fantastic Purple Spots was born. Their current release here, a self-titled debut Fantastic Purple Spots, includes all original songs and was mastered by Travis Bell at Verso Studios, Westport Public Library, Westport Connecticut. The first track “Veterans of Future Wars” has this fantastic, dirty live sound (and I’m looking forward to hearing more like this) that I was immediately hooked. The way the guitars sound, the sloppy feel of the snare drum, the free form style of the guitar solo, all sounded so great together. This matchup reminded me of the Velvet Underground, with a bit of Link Wray, the Troggs and other garage rock/psychedelic bands throw in. “Homo Sapien Times” flips things around with a cleaner, “folksy” sound. Featuring the acoustic, tambourine and some fine vocal harmonies. The bass and drums – softly played – join in a bit later. I’m really liking these guys a lot – I think I found my next summer soundtrack! Next up is “Blasting into the Sun” and it offers a unique two to three guitar textures. The snare has a cool sound too – I think it was recorded in some echoing garage. Style wise, I thought this number focused in on an indie pop sound. I also liked the break at the end where the guitars drop out and then return with more distortion – very cool. “All the Blonde Guys” gives the listener lush sounds of a full acoustic guitar, warm bass tones and more gorgeous vocal harmonies. There is also some extra percussion, (bongos I think) and some low-end flute sounds. “Confessions of a Former Glacier” made me think of what the Pixies might have sounded like if they had a more chilled out/trippy sound, rather than their early screamy, alt-indie/post-punk stuff. The band gets into a twistin’ rocking groove with “Sorry ‘bout Falling into Love with U” in this fun, ‘60s pop punk tune. Moving on is “Rebels of the Hive Mind” – a trippy song that features, “warbling” sounding vocals (where I could only understand the title of the song being sung), a couple of cool guitar textures and a more focused drum rhythm. The highlight for me was the melodic bass lines and the trippy keyboard parts – groovy. “Land of the Dead” has a great mix of moodiness and mystery. “In the summer sun – that’s where I’ll be” sings Junkeyr or Jones (not sure who’s voice is whose) in this ultra-trippy tune that reminded me of early Pink Floyd and such songs as “The Crystal Ship” and “Riders on the Storm” by The Doors. The duos’ last track is called “Please Come In” and it rides along with a gentle drum rhythm and dynamic guitar parts – one feathery and light, the other distorted. Lyrically, words are sparse – “please come in” – is all that’s said. The band has a sort of surf pop ‘60s vibe here, for example if the Beach Boys were more like a band who played a few repeating notes on Pet Sounds, rather than all the complicated arrangements from Brian Wilson’s mind. But don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Pet Sounds – and I love this band, too. If you’re into a raw, garage rock, DIY sound, I think you’re really going to enjoy Fantastic Purple Spots.
Revenir is a collaborative project by goth-rock artists Anu Kirk and Christy Novack of the San Francisco Bay Area, and their new album is titled Cure For Loneliness. Kirk plays guitar, bass, synth and oboe, while Novack plays clarinet, sax, keyboards, bass, guitar and vocals. Both have been involved in various Bay Area bands and projects over the years. They began working together in 2016, but with just limited success due to lack of time. As with many artists, the Covid lockdown gave them the space they needed to focus, with writing sessions leading to serious recording time between April 2020 and December 2021.
The band states: “We wanted to make a modern gothic rock record. Not something self-consciously ‘retro’ or completely emulating the sounds of the past. Music incorporating classic goth ideas and sounds in contemporary fashion, and perhaps less cartoony than what most people think of as ‘goth’ these days. We also wanted to write good, memorable songs that weren't afraid to be beautiful in places.” Influences include Bauhaus, Cocteau Twins, Cranes, The Cure, Dead Can Dance, Joy Division, Killing Joke, Love & Rockets, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Sisters of Mercy, Swans, This Mortal Coil and Tones on Tail. Recording took place at the band members’ home studios, with most of the final work performed on Kirk’s Cubase. Mastering was by Michael Hateley at Lotus Mastering. “Emperor Teeth” is a dark prog tune that begins with a forbidding, titanic beat along with lazy, echo’d notes on the guitars and keys. Revenir’s vocal style is very direct and upfront, singing both in unison and in harmony. I’m guessing this song is using tooth decay as an analogy to the hidden decay in all of us: “Taking the false, making it true / Surface white as pearls, rotten at the root.” “In The Moon” is a compelling track that reminds me of The Civil Union, a dream pop band I’ve reviewed here. The vocals and music very much sound like Andrew and Naomi Pahl. This track marks the first appearance of the saxophone, a stylistic addition the band seems quite proud of (“Daniel Ash played one in all of his bands”). Michael James guests on acoustic guitar. This is my absolute favorite track and it’s already getting repeated plays at my house. “Time Will Tell” has an eerie reverse echo as the vocals rush in. This track has a slow, deliberate beat with Novack taking a solo vocal for the verses, leading into a stark, static harmony with Kirk for the choruses. I love the gorgeously thick arrangement, dramatic and scary like a sleepover at a haunted house. “Cure For Loneliness” has a big digital drum sound, with the stark guitar energy of the Breeders (but slowed WAY down). The bass is evocative and talkative, with stepladder synths building a web of riffs and pads. This is a counterintuitive love song, with insistent shimmering chords and a beautifully industrial chorus. “I will be your cure for loneliness / As she draws near / Let me be the cure for loneliness / She breathes in my ear.” “Rain of Lies” is so far the closest to traditional hard rock, though still very much in a minor key with “wailing” background vocals. Hard to explain but this song has a cool “skipped beat” at the end of each chorus. The lead vocals wouldn’t sound out of place sung by Gomez and Morticia Addams. “Xandrine” is upbeat space pop with angelic background vocals. This track has a pronounced ’80s sound with prominent retro synth patches. The sax returns with heavy reverb and fits perfectly within the song. “Revenance” feels like a classic rock anthem, specifically “Carnival Of Sorts (Boxcars)” by R.E.M. This song features fretless bass recorded in a Korean home studio by jh0st. The closing track is a cover version of the Bauhaus tune “All We Ever Wanted Was Everything.” This song feels the most traditional, veering ever so slightly into Burt Bacharach territory (which is fine by me!). An unexpected and beautiful conclusion. My only quibble with these tracks is that the digital drums are sometimes a bit robotic, but that’s something I’d barely notice if I wasn’t reviewing. Otherwise this album was a total joy from start to finish and I’ll definitely be adding it to my collection, and I hope you do too!
Bryn Jones was born in Aberdeen, Scotland and was brought up with a passion for music which stemmed from his parents love for bands like Jethro Tull, Meat Loaf, Dire Straits, Runrig and Rory Gallagher. He first picked up a guitar at eight years old and by age eleven spent his days locked in his bedroom learning to play his favorite songs. That love for music continued throughout his life and he recently released a four-song EP entitled Fallen Kings.
The EP begins with “Fallen Kings.” It’s a simple and straightforward song revolving around strummed guitar and vocals. The vocals feel confident and are occasionally doubled to increase the emotional heft at moments. Lyrically, the songs seem to revolve around a number of things but to me it felt like a reflection of the lack of leadership and also the pandemic. Next up is “Holy Suicide” and it starts with guitar picking this time around. The song has more of a melancholy and pensive type of energy. On this song the vocal harmonies are more noticeable. I found these sections to be the most beautiful parts of the song. About halfway through, the song bass, very sparse percussion and a lead guitar come into the mix. It’s subtle but the additional instrumentation was very welcome and builds with intensity as the song continues. “Wasted Days” despite the title is the most upbeat song. I loved the juxtaposition between the lyrics and the mood. It sort of broadly goes into the good and bad aspects of life. The hook is infectious and one you could easily sing along with. On the last song “Hell Mary” the artist is perhaps at his most reflective. The song starts with a strummed guitar and his vocals are more stoic on this song. It seems to be about loss, longing and how to deal with those types of emotions. I liked the piano that shows up later in the song. The production and recording was solid but I did notice some differences. For instance the opener “Fallen Kings” had a little more clarity than “Hell Mary.” Overall, this was a very heartfelt and honest collection of songs. The intent of the songs felt clear to me and was emotionally resonant. Take a listen.
Justin Besse is a musician currently living in Burlington, Vermont who released Entangled Thoughts. Besse started playing clarinet in second grade, at the age of eight, but for several years now has been writing songs on guitar. He explains, “I really have tried to develop my own sound, but I have definitely been influenced by artists such as Nick Drake, Bob Dylan, Dave Van Ronk and Woody Guthrie.”
The songs on this release aren’t the most technical and mostly revolve around strummed minor and major chords with singing on top of the progressions. On that note the performances felt honest and raw. The album opens with “Let It Go” and the song sentiment is all in the title. It feels like a reflection on letting go of particular thoughts and feelings. The mood is a bit pensive and melancholy but also contains some hope especially when the chorus hits and Besse repeats the phrase “let it go.” “Falling Leaves” contains palatable melodies and energetic strumming patterns. There were points in this song where I could practically hear the drums and bass enter like when he sings “We watch the leaves fall.” The album continues with “Misfits” containing themes about salvation, destiny and perhaps even finding your soul mate. “Darkness” is a darker song with lyrics that asks questions like “id there anything else to live for / Is there a reason to try.” I interpreted “Like Everyone Else” as yearning to be similar to others when you feel alone while “Miles” is a bit more pensive and even ominous. It ends with “Easy Love” which contains some of the more notable vocal melodies. My main critique was that the energy of the songs felt almost identical. The strumming patterns felt interchangeable. I wanted a little more variation here like perhaps some guitar picking and even some additional instrumentation to make the ride feel more dynamic. The songs are well written and I think the main strengths are the honesty in the performances which feel naked and human. This is a solid effort and hopefully just the beginning of a lot more to come. Take a listen.
Every week we mention a couple of artists that are worth your time to check out that were not featured in our weekly reviews.
Artist Album Rating Erik Daniel No Time Like The Present. 3.6 Render Ghosts Render Ghosts 3.8 Corey Rader Post Obbrobrio 3.7 Zakery Season One 3.7 Seek Harbour. Far From Home 3.7
I was first introduced to Solomon Vaughn aka Boonie Mayfield way back in 2015. A lot has happened in the world since, so I was interested to hear how the artist evolved over the last seven years on his release BLACK FLOYD.
The artist explains that “Working on this album the past three years was a life-changing experience. Externally, I found my sound. Internally, I found myself. This album is a culmination of the past few years of my life and how I’ve felt about a lot of different things. Social media. Racism. Mental health. Spirituality. Love. Ambition. And continuing to follow my heart.” As an artist myself I understand that feeling when your inner heart really starts to align with the art you’re making. Things start to click and you usually hope that listeners will pick up on this. The artist does mention like minded artists such as Andre 3000, Pink Floyd, Bootsy Collins/Funkadelic, The Beatles, Prince, J Dilla and D’Angelo. This is a versatile and diverse array of artists but it makes sense when you listen. The album gets going with “Intro (The Bigger Picture) [feat. Revanon] and this seems to be a spoken word piece about himself from a third person perspective. Interesting way to start. The album starts to move with “Bootsy Collins (All Day)” and there’s a lot to appreciate here. I loved the background vocals that just repeated “Bootsy Collins” which made me chuckle. The hook is great and the song is a down tempo song with chill and relaxing vibes. On “The Doubt Monster (Wherever I Go)” the song is a slow burn with darker tones and colors. The song growls with eruptions of distortion and a slick beat. There’s also well done breakdowns. The song is soulful and D’Angelo did seem to be an influence on this song. “Dream a Mile High” as well as “While Black (Red Light, Blue Light, E’s and R’s)” had a similar BPM and energy. There’s a lot to appreciate from the piano and vocals to soulful healing energy. “Bass’d on a Birdwatcher (Make It Better)” was spacious with no beat and it was more experimental. The vocals have a lot of room over a dark soundscape with bass filling in the melodies. As the album progresses I thought there were some particular songs to take note of. The more rock based “The Self Made Era” had a different vocal style where he sings intensely. I liked the variation. One of my personal favorites was “Upside Johead” which contained memorable vocal melodies and a hard hitting beat with fuzzy bass while “Whatchagonnadoo” is a silky and smooth R&B based song. This was a great album. I did want maybe one or two more songs with a faster BPM to change up the energy but overall this was very cohesive and seamless. The songs were well written and the production and songwriting is top notch. |
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