Lav's Music Corner

5.  Talkback  - 6lack Even if using the same Sting sample as Lucid Dreams  only a few years after it was a smash hit is a bold idea I also think this might be my favorite 6lack song in quite a while. All of his swagger as a performer and versatility between singing and rapping comes through to make the song pretty irresistible. You basically know what you're getting with this one but that's not a complaint.  Listen 4.  Failed At Math(s)  - Panchiko A few years ago I would have never believed we would get Panchiko reunited and recording new music but here it is. While their new single didn't exactly blow me away it did something just as important, maintained some of the stylistic motifs of the music that broke the band through in the first place even though it's been over 20 years since then.  Listen 3.  My Cosmos Is Mine  - Depeche Mode This might be the darkest new Depeche Mode song in a while at least in terms of soundplay and I actually li...

Despite the fact that synth pop and new wave were some of the most popular genres of the 1980's, it felt like "cool" was reserved for the jamming hair metal bands that lingered on from a rock heavy 1970's. Where synth pop was too emotional and new wave too corny, the 90's immediately brought a change of pace. When some of the 80's most potent heartthrobs re-emerged with dark sunglasses and tight leather jackets it marked the day that synth pop officially became cool, and Violator  was born. The record is a slick set of winding synth pop songs with effortlessly smooth production and a distinct edge that separated it from the synth pop of old, while keeping the fundamentals in tact. The album is most remembered by its four singles, the first of which is the timeless lambasting of the status quo Personal Jesus . The hard blues inspired riff of the track served as a call to arms when followed by lyrics denoting the weak immediacy of the modern world, and tho...