Cordavision Music Reviews

Fiona Apple really needs no introduction. She’s a legendary singer-songwriter who released her debut album Tidal at the age of 17. Many critics have compared pop phenom Billie Eilish’s rise to fame to Apple’s rise in the 90s. Since then, Apple only drops one album seven or eight years apart. Her last album was in 2012, which was The Idler Wheel… , a near-perfect art-pop record with her expressive yet dull and haunting vocals, along with Apple’s always stunning writing. Eight years later, Apple has returned with her fifth LP Fetch the Bolt Cutters , a raw and stripped back album with an unconventional and bizarre sound, yet still a Fiona Apple record. I usually try not to talk about other people’s opinions on these, but major publication’s reactions had a pretty big influence on my review. Fetch the Bolt Cutters has earned widespread acclaim from essentially everywhere. On Metacritic, it is currently the highest rated album of all time on the website with a 100% score. Pitchfork gav...

Like myself, not a lot of people have heard of Westside Gunn before the release of his latest album, Pray For Paris . The record label he founded, Griselda, was with his labelmates Conway the Machine and Benny the Butcher. Of course, both of these artists appear on Pray For Paris, but they all have had recognition at some point. Westside Gunn first got acclaim and attention from his series of Hitler Wears Hermes mixtapes that have been going since 2011, along with his Griselda group record WWCD , which is one of the most overlooked and underrated rap albums of the past decade. So now, since I have you somewhat educated on Westside Gunn and Griselda, let me take you into the mesmerizing record that is Pray For Paris . Pray For Paris is one of those records that is chock-full of soul sample-heavy instrumentals that are manipulated to create chills down your spine. As a mainstream example, it’s a more lo-fi approach to the instrumental to Dreamville’s “Under The Sun” from Revenge of the...

Lil Uzi Vert has been a pioneering artist in this wave of emo-rappers and is one of the best in this area of rap. Uzi first caught my eye with his single “You Was Right,” from his 2016 mixtape Lil Uzi Vert vs. The World . Then, his oft-delayed 2017 debut LP Luv is Rage 2 was a decent collection of tracks which boosted Uzi’s radar and included the biggest hit of his career by far, “XO TOUR Llif3.” This album that I’ll be looking over, Eternal Atake , had a very rocky start. Label issues, delayed release dates, it had it ALL. Then, it saw a surprise release on March 6, 2020. Eternal Atake exists. It wasn’t a myth anymore. It had otherworldly expectations, but the big question: Did it live up to the hype? In a word, no. Uzi had divided Eternal Atake into three sections: Baby Pluto , Renji , and Lil Uzi Vert . Out of these sections, I think Renji is the strongest out of the bunch. It’s fun, it’s lighthearted, and it’s a playful Uzi that we don’t hear too often. “Bigger Than Life” has a ...

As of late, Tyler, The Creator is one of the most influential artists of this generation. Once the ringleader of Odd Future and a cockroach-eating wolf whose vulgar and offensive lyrics got him banned from entering multiple countries, is now a blossoming and (sometimes) calm writer, producer, and singer/rapper. And Tyler has his bonafide masterpiece with his 2017 album, Flower Boy . Flower Boy is best considered a jazz rap album. The lush and pillowy production is a far cry from his past albums, but Tyler’s ferocious voice is still there as always. The features are also plenty. Frank Ocean, A$AP Rocky, Kali Uchis, Estelle, and more accompany Tyler on each track. Some features are on a majority of a track, while others are just background vocals, yet each feature is essential to the track. “Who Dat Boy” with Rocky is a banger for the ages, even with its nearly one-minute instrumental build-up. “Foreword” with indie singer Rex Orange County is the perfect intro for the album with its...

For the uninitiated, Braxton Cook is a saxophonist and singer that’s been on the scene since about 2014, starting with his debut EP Sketch . Since then, he’s joined Grammy-nominated trumpeter Christan Scott’s big band, the Christian Ensemble, along with being a part of different bands throughout his career. His sophomore effort, No Doubt , was where Cook broke onto the scene. It received critical and acclaim, with some calling it one of the best jazz records of the year. His newest release, titled Fire Sign , expands upon his fusions of jazz, R&B, and alternative music to much success. Fire Sign is a laidback R&B album in the disguise of a jazz album. Yes, there are many jazz influences, but he’s a truly great singer amid the glossy and pristine instrumentals. “Don’t Wanna See You” is a standout breakup track while Cook shows off his saxophone skills, and the opener “Moonchild” leans towards the R&B-trap side, yet it still shows off his crooning chops. The final three t...

Joyner Lucas has been catching people’s eyes for nearly a decade. After breaking out onto the scene with his 2015 track “Ross Capicchoni,” Lucas caught my attention with his flows and impeccable pen game. He went up from there with his music video “I’m Not Racist,” which gave a spotlight to race relations from the perspectives of a black man and a white man. This was a powerful video that eventually got nominated for a Grammy. In 2018, he was now known to millions because of the sole rap feature on Eminem’s surprise album Kamikazee . The song, “Lucky You,” showcased that Lucas was an Eminem protegee that could go nearly bar to bar with Marshall Mathers himself. He had gotten Eminem’s blessing, but where was his debut album? ADHD is that album, and sadly, it isn’t that pretty. First off, he sounds like he’s copying different artists on songs. In the song “Finally,” he sounds exactly like Drake. If you played this song without the knowledge of the artist, you’d just think it’s Drake a...

DaBaby, the Cleveland-born and Charlotte-raised rapper, has been riding a wave of success since 2019. He broke out onto the scene with “SUGE,” the platinum-selling lead single from his debut breakout Baby on Baby . From there, he’s only grown in popularity because of showing off his trademark flow on songs with Post Malone, Camila Cabello, and Chance the Rapper. Now, only 8 months after his second, and in my opinion his best, album KIRK , he’s once again back on BLAME IT ON BABY . But does his third studio effort live up to the expectations that DaBaby’s fans expect from him? It’s a bit of a mixed bag. If you’re looking for trap bangers, Blame it on Baby certainly has that. “JUMP” is a standout track that proves why DaBaby’s fanbase is so strong, and Youngboy NBA’s delightfully bouncy opening is the icing on the cake. Future and JetsonMade DaBaby continues Roddy Ricch’s hot streak on “ROCKSTAR,” a mellow-sounding but still somehow hard-hitting track that shows off Ricch’s growing po...