Lav's Music Corner

Review by Lavender: FLO are an R&B trio that have been impressing me for a few years now with early EPs and singles that showed off their great chemistry and harmonizing, on top of a hilarious knack for crafting songs about love and sex with memorable points of view. With some more strong singles added in the lead-up to their debut album, I was hoping that Access All Areas  would show off the best of the group's potential. And despite the occasional slip here and there, that's mostly what it does.  The record is loosely split into two halves with the first being both more romantic and far hornier. It gets off to a killer start out of the gate with two strong singles in the first three tracks. "AAA" is a throwback R&B/pop jam with the trio's voices wonderfully weaving in and out of each other on a fantastic hook. "Walk Like This" didn't hit me quite as immediately when I first heard it earlier this year but it's grown on me quite a bit sin...

Yes LCD Soundsystem are back and yes there was a pretty good chance going into this list they would be at the top spot 99 out of 100 times, see whether it came to fruition.  5.  Punish  - Ethel Cain I still get some dolls unhappy with my review of Ethel Cain's breakthrough Preacher's Daughter  where I pointed out how inclined she is to senselessly waste time with both too many songs and songs that wander on for way too long. With her even longer follow-up, I can already feel similar instincts creeping in but this lead single does have me biting my tongue a bit. Despite definitely being both longer and slower than it needs to, the subtler cracking darkness that the Ethel Cian persona has always been wading through is very much intact and it's clear why she's made a name for herself by doing it so well.  Listen 4.  AAA  - FLO R&B girl group FLO have as much potential as anyone right now and they've been showing it off with great singles for a few yea...

I'm actually early this week to make up for the past two, enjoy <3. 5.  Ark  - KMRU & Kevin Richard Martin With two singles under their belt, I'm becoming incredibly excited for prolific ambient producer KMRU's upcoming collaborative record with The Bug's Kevin Richard Martin. This second single deals in spoken word samples and thick walls of gritty haze that give the track a distinctive texture. It's the louder of the two singles so far and yet in some of the methodical repetition and pure haze of it all I find the song more soothing than its predecessor.  Listen 4.  Sexy To Someone  - Clairo Clairo fans will be the first to tell you I haven't been nearly as crazy about her music thus far as many other critics but I've seen glimpses. That's why I'm surprised by how much I like this song. It's crafted in the image of some of my favorite up-beat tracks of hers to date with a vibrant instrumental now free of Jack Antonoff's touch. What r...

3 Of Us  EP - FLO I've been paying a lot of attention to the R&B trio FLO recently following a strong EP they dropped last year. Adding onto that they kicked off 2023 with an absolutely great single called Fly Girl. The song was a textbook 2000s throwback with Missy Elliott on board for a perfect guest verse. I was a little disappointed to see that song not appear here. though excited regardless because the group had recently succeeded so well within the EP format. That's why I find the opener Control Freak  so disappointing with its really heavy-handed melodies and lyrical content. The song's subject matter just feels way too obvious and sonically it never materializes into anything even remotely smooth.  Thankfully the second track Change  is much closer to a return to form. It wouldn't be among my favorite of the group's tracks but it does a great job at highlighting the members' distinctive features. It also has a beautifully layered hook that features m...

5.  WE GOT THE JAZZ  - Moor Mother While Moor Mother's songs still don't necessarily work as the best singles in the world, this first taste of her upcoming deluxe version of last year's great Jazz Codes  proves that the well of creativity ran even deeper than I thought. It's once again an indulgent but extremely impressive performance clearly surrounded by talented musicianship on all sides.  Listen 4.  Paradise Is Mine  - Swans Even having never been the biggest Swans fan in the world I can certainly find plenty to like about this song. I love the combination of some hellish sounds that are placed sparsely enough to not completely overtake the song. I appreciate the methodical repetition which sort of heightens the song's energy and even if it once again feels like it's on the more indulgent side than I would have personally made, it's kind of the band's style at this point.  Listen 3.  TV In The Gas Pump  - Wednesday The 4th single from th...