Lav's Music Corner

Review by Lavender: Jamie xx is a writer, producer, and electronic musician who first rose to fame as a member of indie pop outfit The xx. In 2015, he released his first solo album In Colour , which was a massive critical darling for its blend of dance and electronic styles and impressive roster of collaborators. It's been 9 years then and yet it feels like In Waves  picks up right where the previous album left off. After a series of strong singles, Jamie xx has delivered another slice of absolutely excellent electronica that reinforces itself and features one highlight after another.  A surprising half of this album's tracklist dropped as singles in advance of it's release and there really isn't a miss in the bunch. A track like Treat Each Other Right  may not have exactly blown me away at first but its impact on the record is enormous. It comes after the instrumental intro track Wanna  which sets up the punchy beat underneath perfectly. The other single that didn'...

Given the sheer volume of highly anticipated material that came out this week, it's hard to not see the final product as slightly disappointing. Regardless these are the best new songs I heard this week and they likely aren't the ones you're anticipating. Enjoy <3 5.  Hideous  - Oliver Sim (Feat. Jimmy Somerville) This is quite an interesting track that I've been digesting upon repeat listens because it moves through some very distinct phases. Ultimately it's when Oliver Sim is at his most intimate that the song hits its emotional highs and when the Jamie xx produced instrumental hits its orchestrated peak that it finds the most impact. Unfortunately, I'm not crazy about Jimmy Somerville's addition to the track where he serves as a HUGE outlier. Honestly having another vocalist on the song at all feels like it takes away from what should be really gripping and raw intimacy.  Listen 4.  Freight Yard  - The Garden This is The Garden alright. From the wacko ...

            Looking at modern pop music there is a minimalist spike that runs through the vein of a genre that is still so commonly associated with shimmering synth leads and sugary sweet melody. But when we analyze the landscape of modern pop music in 2019 it tells us a different story. From the stark minimalist beat crafting of one of the summer's biggest hits, Billie Eilish's Bad Guy , to the dark, sensual and brooding nature brought on in the influx of increasingly lustful pop superstars the likes of Ariana Grande, Troye Sivan, Charli XCX and Kim Petras. The musical aesthetics and brash lyrical themes have a very clear trail that runs through pops 10 year romanticizing of Rap and R&B music the heartbeat of which was set in place by singer/guitarists Oliver and Romy and beat crafter extraordinaire Jamie xx. 10 years ago when a pop artist wanted to turn over a new leaf and release their edgiest material yet the blueprint was Brittney Spears' Toxi...