Death of the Critic

September 2016

blond - Review

Written by: Tom Blaich

Blonde_Album_Cover


It’s been years since
Channel Orange, and fans everywhere have been eagerly awaiting the next project from Frank Ocean. Perhaps a little too fervently. But in the last few years, the world has changed. Music has changed. And I don’t know if any of us quite expected what we got. Blonde is simultaneously somber and rich, a eulogy for the childhood of his past. Ocean is growing up, coming to accept himself for who he is. It is melancholic and drawn out, forming only one part of an experience toiled over for years. There’s Blonde, a free magazine, and the visual album Endless that all come together as a part of his grand vision of who Frank Ocean is today.

Read More…
Comments

As Seen on the Internet - Review

Written by: Tom Blaich

As_Seen_On_The_Internet_Album_Cover


Futuristic is back for his sixth studio album. Chock full of corny, meme-rap lines on top of generic beats, it fails to impress in almost any way. It feels like a Soundcloud album that was accidentally released for purchase. And if you could not already tell, I did not like it.

Read More…
Comments

Prima Donna - Review

Written by: Tom Blaich

Prima_Donna_Album_Cover


I’m an unapologetic fan of Vince Staples.
Summertime ’06 was my album of the year last year, edging out some really fantastic offerings to take my top spot. It carried with it a huge amount of raw emotional power that hit me like a punch in the gut, and still does, every time I listen to it. I’ve been eagerly awaiting his next project ever since. Prima Donna was not exactly what I expected. Short, strange, powerful, and so very Vince Staples, the album does a good job at giving you a hint of the new direction that he is taking himself in.

Read More…
Comments

Jeffrey - Review

Written by: Tom Blaich

Jeffrey_Album_Cover


I feel like I have had to offer a disclaimer when recommending Young thug to people over the last few months. Giving caveats to how much I liked
Slime Season 3. Only listen to this if you are in the mood for club tracks. Not for easy listening. And more of these same excuses to one of my favorite albums of the first half of the year. With the release of Jeffrey, Thugger seems to have matured. So I can finally say, without reservations, that you should listen to this album. He has dialed back the brash intensity for something far more personal, without loosing the energy and bombastic flair that makes Young Thug so much fun to listen to.

Read More…
Comments