Lav's Music Corner

These debut albums came from artists that people have had their eyes on for quite a while. With their first big swings some hit a home run and others completely struck out. This Could Be Texas  - English Teacher I remember hearing about a British indie rock band called English Teacher sometime around when their 2022 EP dropped. Somehow that attention got lost in the mix and when they dropped their debut album earlier this year it blindsided me. Without it worked into my plans a full review of the album fell by the wayside, that was at least until it surprisingly won this year's Mercury Prize. I had to grind everything to a halt and cover this record. But that framing isn't entirely true. I have developed a pretty strong familiarity with one of the record's singles R&B . Though I didn't encounter the thoughtful and ferocious indie punk jam until after the album was released, I like it so much I'm surprised it didn't inspire me to review This Could Be Texas  o...

Ice Spice is a New York drill rapper who blew up last year on the back of a breakout viral hit song Munch . She responded to the attention quickly with this EP which pairs a trio of singles including Munch  with three new songs. Review by Lav: Let's get this out of the way early, I like Munch . It was one of the most divisive songs of last year as men with rap-themed Instagram accounts whined ad nauseum about any publication which gave Ice Spice credit for the hit. Even if the song was bad the backlash would be silly and it's something pretty much every female rapper deals with these days when they break out. But as I heard the track more and more times it start to grow on me and there's something entrancing about Ice Spice's presence as both a rapper and an artist. So other than Munch , what is here. Well, firstly there are two singles which I'm split right down the middle on. In Ha Mood  opens the EP on a high note and the song just sounds better and better the mo...