Lav's Music Corner

Review by Lavender: Lorde has developed into one of the most beloved pop stars of the past 15 years. Her 2013 debut album Pure Heroine  was packed full of stark, youthful pop songs like the landscape-altering mega-hit "Royals" and the critically-acclaimed masterpiece "Ribs." She doubled down on that impressive debut with 2017's Melodrama , which, when all is said and done, stood as one of the best pop albums of the entire decade. But her first outing of the 2020s Solar Power  was nowhere near as interesting sonically or thematically. After seemingly undergoing quite a lot of maturity as a songwriter in just 4 years, Lorde returned with an album that feels like a true grown-up version of her beloved sound and style.  Virgin 's lead single is probably my least favorite of the three, and I still think it's great, how's that for a start? Despite some silly lyrics, “What Was That” is genuinely propulsive, especially on the hook, where it really does feel ...

Eggnog hangover, or something like that I'm writing this weeks in advance so who knows what will happen. Assuming the world continues spinning as usual yesterday was Christmas and I dropped my first of 7 year end lists, here is part 2. This one's great because I don't have to do anything but assemble it. If you're not a regular reader I reviewed over 200 projects this year and right at my side was my little baby boy and also professional photographer Tyler Judson, who pens brief reviews of the accompanying album covers for all of them.  These are Tyler's top 10 album/EP covers of 2021 and in my kingdom, his word is law. Enjoy <3 10. An Evening With Silk Sonic  - Silk Sonic This cover, like the record itself, is smart and effective. Rather than going for photography this illustration has a timeless quality. It sets a theme of for the album and has a classic and easily identifiable feel to it. I love the drawing, it captures the personality of both artists involved...

Lorde is a New Zealand based pop singer who became extraordinarily famous at a young age when her single Royals  became one of the biggest hits of the 2010's. Since then she has become an almost mythical pop figure who is prone to disappearing completely from the public eye for extended periods of time between album cycles. Adding to this mythos she emerged earlier this year with a lead single denouncing technological dependence accompanied by a music video featuring some slightly cult like imagery. Review By Lav: I'm a Lorde bitch. I was a Lorde bitch when I left middle school during Pure Heroine 's commercial domination. I was still a Lorde bitch when I graduated high school during a great critical renaissance surrounding her follow-up Melodrama . Now 4 years later I was still incredibly excited to get emails from Lorde about her trip to Antarctica and this was one of my most anticipated albums of the year. After a trio of singles that admittedly have massive meme potenti...

The Top 10 Artists Of 2017 While the Albums, Songs and EPs list celebrate individual achievements of greatness artist of the Year takes a step further. Everyone comes into the start of a year in different places and everyone leaves a changed artist, whether drastic or minor. The Top Artist Of The Year has always been one of the more subjective lists as it takes into account the perception of an artist beyond their music where opinions differ even further. Acts like Kendrick Lamar and LCD Soundsystem released albums that would easily land a first timer on this list, but when compared to their greater discographies we're left to wonder what could have been. These 15 artists left no room for wishing as they set out to have fantastic 2017's across the board. Honorable Mentions Alvvays In 2017 Alvvays proved they had staying power in the Dream Pop genre, a feat most bands without "Beach" in their name have struggled to achieve. A trio of fantastic singles and ...