August 2019 Recap

After a pretty drab July August really kicked off with some fantastic releases and a huge shake up to the album, singles and songs of the year charts, and all while doing it with only a few real disappointments.

Take a quick look at all the albums I reviewed this month:

First Taste - Ty Segall

On First Taste Ty Segall is unrelentingly his own but the experiments are well within his comfort zone as he rocks his way through some of the wildest and fastest rock track all year, with a decent consistency. Review

Live At Troxy - Fever Ray

Troxy fails to turn many of the uninspired songs from Fever Ray's most recent record into captivating live experiences but does provide fans a new take on some of the best tracks of her solo career so far. Review

i,i- Bon Iver

Bon Iver blends together the warm hearty style of their early work with the electronic coldness of their 2016 masterpiece 22, A Million into something uniquely their own with the sensation of a cabin in the woods floating in electronic cyberspace. Review

! - Trippie Redd

Trippie Redd comes up short on his much anticipated second studio album with some experiments that fall short and an overall lack of focus, yet he still manages a number of solid tracks. Review

Bumps & Bruises - Ugly God

Ugly God took a long time assembling his first true studio record, and it didn't pay off. Review

So Much Fun - Young Thug

So Much Fun is oosing with Thugger's infectious personality, but it is also filled with bad features from lesser rappers that make it's hour of content sometimes an unnecessarily mixed bag. Review

Animated Violence Mild - Blanck Mass

The newest project from Benjamin John Powell's solo project is an explosive and concentrated burst of industrial color that rarely gives you a moment to breathe. Review

Infest The Rats Nest - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

The second King Gizz record of the year is yet another sonic experiment to add to the bands repitiore and one of the best true thrash metal records of the 2000's. Review

This Is Not A Safe Place - Ride

Ride doesn't revolutionize shoegaze the way they did in the 90's but on This Is Not A Safe Place they prove while they are still capable of making solid contributions to the genre. Review

The Center Won't Hold - Sleater-Kinney

The second album from the legendary indie act since reforming in 2015 sees the group writing some of their most uninspired tunes to date. Review

Floor Seats - A$AP Ferg

Floor Seats sees Ferg trying to be experimental and mostly falling short. Review

Thrashing Thru The Passion - The Hold Steady

Thrashing Thru The Passion is one of the best Hold Steady records in over a decade and a must listen for fans of their unique indie sound. Review

Face Stabber - Thee Oh Sees

Face Stabber sees Thee Oh Sees pushing the envelope of rock music, but wasting most of their time with wandering and pointless songs. Review

Ginger - Brockhampton

Ginger is the boybands most personal and emotional release yet, featuring songs that shatter the mold of modern hip hop and impress consistently with consistent performances and excellent production for one of the best listens of 2019 so far. Review

Lover - Taylor Swift

Lover has its moments but they tend to get bogged down in an album that desperately needed to trim off some excess tunes. Review

Eve - Rapsody

Rapsody's third album is just as personal as her previous output and has plenty of unique and worthwhile moments, even if there are a handful of weak points across the albums long run time. Review

Icolonogy - Missy Elliott

Iconology isn't quite a return to form for the legendary MC but in the short format she returns with a handful of solid tracks, kneecapped by a very rough finish. Review

smartbeats - Toro Y Moi

With his second release of the year Toro y Moi dabbles in some ambient and minimalist soundscapes and achieves a number of truly unique and compelling sounds over a short 22 minutes. Review

Life Is Beautiful - Powers Pleasant

Powers Pleasant's work crafting some great beats on this project is overshadowed by the consistent incompetence of some of the artists he recruits to rap over them. Review