Lav's Music Corner

21 Savage & Metro Boomin   are a pairing of some of contemporary hip hops most prominent voices and producers in the current game. The two originally connected on a full length project in 2016 when 21 Savage was an up and coming voice in the Atlanta hip hop scene and Metro Boomin was one of the most in demand producers after working with Kanye West and Drake. Since then they have both grown even further in notoriety and achieved commercial and critical success with projects of their own. For many trap fans Savage Mode II  was one of the most anticipated rap records of the year.  Review By Lavender: Balancing the tone of this review is going to be a little bit difficult. Because of how much I've enjoyed 21 Savage's music in recent years Savage Mode II  was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. While ultimately the album lives up the veteran caliber of its primary artists, that is all it does. The lack of many true standout moments here as well as some p...

The Neighbourhood is a California pop rock band who first broke out in the early 2010's with their mega-hit single Sweater Weather . Chip Chrome  is their 4th album and represents a major shift for the band both sonically and promotionally.  Review By Lavender: I've been a fan of The Neighborhood since they first emerged with a series of viral singles across their first two records that made up moody pop rock anthems like Sweater Weather , Daddy Issues  and R,I,P 2 My Youth . Their self-titled third record in 2018 turned out to be my favorite of their full length albums so far with a much more sonic consistently and improvements in their songwriting formula. I was excited for this record after a few singles even though they are an inconsistent bunch. But once I saw that the record was just barely over 30 minutes long and we had already heard more of it then not my excitement dulled. However I don't think anything would have prepared me for just how little the record actua...

Deftones are a California Nu Metal band who released some of the genres most essential material during it's heyday in the late 90's and early 2000's. The band hasn;t slouched since then as they continue to release attention grabbing music highlighted by fan favorite 2012 album Koi No Yokan . Ohms  is the bands 9th record and it's intro and outro tracks were released as singles leading up the the record. Review By Lavender: While I wouldn't consider myself a Deftones die hard I am by all means a fan. The bands seminal 2000 record White Pony  is one of my favorite alt metal albums of all time and I agree with many fans about Koi No Yokan . That being said outside of some of their best records I think the band is just okay and their previous album 2016's Gore  left me more bored than anything else. Thankfully Ohms  is an improvement and even if it isn't an instant classic like White Pony  I do get flashes of the bands greatness at points on the record.  The re...

Melanie Martinez is an American pop singer who first emerged as a contestant on The Voice before releasing her acclaimed Dollhouse  EP. She followed this with her 2015 debut album Cry Baby which became a major cult hit for it's narrative concept addressing dark themes with a childish aesthetic. It took four years for Melanie to release the follow-up album and accompanying film K-12  to further critical success, and many of the tracks on this EP come from the same recording sessions.  Review By Lavender: If you read my end of year lists from 2019 or if you've ever spoken to me in real life for more than a few minutes you probably know I'm a big fan of Melanie Martinez. Her Crybaby record and one of its marquee singles Sippy Cup  both landed on my end of decade lists for the 2010's and her unique style sounded just as refreshing last year as it initially did. I was worried at first that this EP would just be a collection of leftover songs but thankfully the tracks her...

Idles is a British punk rock band who first began to attract major critical attention with their 2017 debut album Brutalism  which introduced the world to their socially charged song themes and snarling lead vocalist Joe Talbot. They pushed their sound and societal critiques even higher on a critically acclaimed follow-up in 2018 before adjusting their style to fit a more conventional rock sound on their 3rd record. Review By Lavender: While I don't think either of the first two Idles records are masterpieces I did thoroughly enjoy them both and what the band offers is in short supply right now. Given the jump they made from album 1 to album to I was hoping that the band would take an even bigger step and drop one of the best albums of the year on Ultra Mono  but after a few singles I didn't have much hope left. The record isn't bad but it is seeped in awkwardness with awkward lyrics and chunky fist-pumping riffs that feel below the band after their first two records avoide...

Sufjan Stevens is a Michigan based indie singer songwriter who became an icon of the genre in the 2000's with universally acclaimed releases like Michigan , Illinois  and The Age Of Adz . After releasing one of his most acclaimed records to date with the somber stripped back Carrie & Lowell  in 2015 he took on a number of side projects, very few of which landed in the same way as his core discography. After collaborating with his stepdad and fellow Asthmatic Kitty Records founder on a pseudo ambient project earlier this year he is back with his 8th studio album.  Review By Lavender: Anybody who likes indie music certainly like Sufjan Stevens. Much like many indie favorites his albums have distinct sounds and fans frequently debate on the merits of their favorites. Personally 2005's Illinois  and 2015's Carrie & Lowell  are a large step above his other releases even though I think nearly all of his records are worth listening to. I was excited about this ...

Fleet Foxes are a Seattle indie folk band fronted primarily by singer and songwriter Robin Pecknold. They became indie darlings of the Pitchfork folk era in 2008 with a critically acclaimed debut EP followed by an even more acclaimed debut album. Since then they have released the poetic Helplessness Blues  in 2011 and the winding experimental Crack-Up  in 2017 both of which received nearly unanimous critical acclaim. Shore  was announced just a few days before it's release which coincided with the autumnal equinox. Review By Lavender: I like Fleet Foxes, both Fleet Foxes , Helplessness Blues  and even the Sun Giant  EP have songs I love even if I don't worship the band at nearly the same level as many others. The first time the band really wowed me was the first time I ever got to properly review their music on their 3rd record Crack-Up , my favorite of the bands album by far. Compared to the bright indie riffs and simple song structures of their early work Crac...