WEGL's Friday Picks Nov 11-18
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When I listened to this record I made a promise to myself that my outlook on it wouldn’t be biased or skewed by previous opinions I’ve had of the Black Eyed Peas, and that I would give my honest standpoint of the art itself. With that in mind, ELEVATION is potentially the worst album of the year. I like to think of The Black Eyed Peas as that one popular Chad that every high school has. They peak for a crisp three to four years before moving on to greater things, only to realize that their popularity has quickly died. So, in order to salvage their relevance, they return to the scene that once made them popular every now and then to “check up on things,” only to find that everyone has long moved past them. This LP is so corporate safe, it’s hard to find any redeeming quality about the music itself.
YouTubers trying their hand at music is a tale as old as time, and Matt Watson is no different as he just released his debut album on November 7th. Watson’s claim to fame is being one half of gaming duo SuperMega alongside Ryan Magee and getting knocked out in 22 seconds in a celebrity fight. But the difference between Matt Watson and most YouTubers who try to make music is Watson's experience.
1) Benjamin Clementine – And I Have Been – Oct 28, 2022
Melt My Eyez See Your Future – Denzel Curry
There are a few reasons as to why the evolution of rock music has yielded some of the most influential, creative, and unique albums and artists of any genre. Whether it be for the simple fact that rock music sees no instrumental bounds, can be enjoyable in any context, and can be independent from or wholly dependent on technology and electronic production, it is undeniable that rock music is a constantly changing spectrum of sounds and emotions filtered through the lenses of different musical geniuses throughout the last 100 years. Of all the genres and subgenres contained within the realm of rock music, few have as distinct of a sound as shoegaze. Dubbed “shoegaze” due to guitarists and singers being known for standing in one spot, sometimes staring at the ground or “shoe-gazing” for the majority of a show, the layered, fuzzy, reverb packed guitar tracks, pounding drums, and touches of ambient synth make this a timeless form of rock music since its original conception in the late 80s and early 90s. With major pioneers of shoegaze-like instrumentation dating back to the 60s with creative minds like Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, and the Beatles, followed by the sounds and styles of The Cure, Sonic Youth, and Dinosaur Jr., and eventually brought into true form with groups like the Cocteau Twins and the Jesus and Mary Chain, it is debatable if any band captured the true essence of shoegaze-rock better than My Bloody Valentine.
The best way to describe By the Time I Get to Phoenix is as a smoking room in a burning house. In their first album since their self-titled record in 2019, Injury Reserve deviates from their normal high energy rapping to create an album that twists that structure into a claustrophobic, intense expression of grief. It would be difficult to discuss this album without mentioning the loss of band mate Stepa J. Groggs. Groggs was one third of Injury Reserve since their founding in 2013. Expectedly, this loss has taken a toll on the group, and this can be felt in every aspect of this album. From the lyrics to production, By the Time I Get to Phoenix utilizes music’s capabilities to fully immerse the listener in the mental state of Injury Reserve’s members.
The wait is finally over. Quintessential indie-rock outfit Modest Mouse released their seventh studio album, The Golden Casket, on June 25, 2021. The highly anticipated project consists of 12 songs and is just a hair over 50 minutes in length, a bit shorter than most of the bands previous releases. Front-man Isaac Brock and drummer Jeremiah Green, the two remaining members of the original trio, are back full force with their ensemble of other instrumentalists, some new and some old, in addition to a world of new sounds and song concepts. This is, by far, Modest Mouse’s most unique and colorful sounding album to date. The use of synthesizers and a wide range of other electronic instruments gives a majority of the songs on this album a much fuller, more vibrant sound than anything the band has released as of yet. While many critics and casual listeners are struggling to see how The Golden Casket can hold up to the likes of the bands earlier, more well known releases such as the beautifully haunting concept album, The Lonesome Crowded West, or the record that came 7 years later, Good News For People Who Love Bad News, including essential Modest Mouse songs that really put the band on the map in the mid 2000’s and even landed them a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Album in 2004. With all of that said, let’s break the album down and discover why it could be their most bold and interesting release so far, and what it could mean for fans in the future.