Reviews
Noname: Telefone – Chance The Rapper’s mysterious collaborator has
finally released her own debut project, but it didn’t make as big of a splash
as it could have. The first half of Telefone is unquestionably confident and
shows how soothing the Chicago MC’s music can be. Noname’s lyrical ability
has always been impressive, and it is highlighted at the very beginning of the
project. That uniquely crisp and smooth sound that Noname establishes grows
very stale by the second half of the project though, and Noname’s ability to
blend in with the music doesn’t help after the listener has lost interest. A modest and attractive project, Telefone suffers from a lack of variation that makes
Noname’s signature sound feel old too quickly.
-Rosh Jobin
PARTYNEXTDOOR: P3 – It’s actually not as bad as everyone says it is. Party’s latest album is a statement to his artistry, and he’s taking all the right risks.
Although the album may be offsetting to day 1 fans because of the sudden
change in direction, P3 contains everything we love about Party at heart.
Similar to Views in the sense of a wintery production, P3 is cold and sparse, but
there is an underlying warmth and beauty hidden in each of the albums tracks.
Once you’re finally submerged in P3’s world, you can finally appreciate it, but
the album is rough around the edges and makes it hard for the casual listener
to get into it. Party’s vocals vary from downright uncomfortable to startlingly
amazing on the tracks of P3, and the layering of sonic themes varies just as
much. The album isn’t for casual gatherings; it’s too challenging for communal
Bluetooth speakers. It requires more attention and thrives at high volumes
in your headphones, one-on one. P3 is Party’s ugly duckling, but when one
makes it through the 65 minutes, he or she will see that the album in its true
form: a black swan.
-Rosh Jobin
Rae Sremmurd: SremmLife 2 – Mike Will’s drummer boys are back with
their latest album, the sequel to last year’s smash, “SremmLife.” Is it better? Is it
worse? Well they’re actually kind of equal but not in the sense that the projects
are the same content-wise. The two are more like North and South or Yin and
Yang. Sremm