Cordavision Music Reviews

Ah, yes. Finally back in jazz rap. If you look at R.A.P. Ferreira’s discography, you wouldn’t see that much there. However, he’s been putting out projects under different names like Milo and Scallops Hotel since at least 2011. The Chicago-born poet and rapper recently hit my radar with 2020’s Purple Moonlight Pages (which will be covered in a Cache Saturday installment next month) and bob's son: R​.​A​.​P. Ferreira in the garden level cafe of the scallops hotel from earlier this year, and while I liked both of those projects, they weren’t absolute knockouts to me. I was waiting for that project still, so I was excited to hear that his next project, titled The Light Emitting Diamond Cutter Scriptures , would be arriving so soon. Let’s get into it. I’ll start with what I liked the most here, and that’s the jazzy, atmospheric beats. Save for Eldon, I hadn’t even heard of any of the producers that Ferreira worked with on here. Argov, Brendon Caroselli, Gibbsfreelance, Pink Navel, and...

Cache Saturday is a new series of unranked reviews where I’m gonna catch up on albums I’ve listened to, whether it’s for the first time or not. I’ll also cover new albums I’ve missed from earlier or were cut from my schedule. Also, they’ll all be done in one paragraph. Here’s the first entry, Jon Batiste’s Grammy-nominated WE ARE . Woooow, how have I not heard his solo work yet? I know he’s also nominated and won for his work on the score for Pixar’s Soul, but this is just great. I’m pretty sure Batiste has a degree as a jazz pianist and it shows here. I love all the influences here like funk, soul, hip-hop, and gospel, yet it doesn’t feel like any of them. I could also tell Batiste is from New Orleans, mainly because the sound just feels born from it. Most of all, it just feels genuine. It feels like there’s a talented man at work here and it shows across the board. No wonder Batiste is the most nominated artist at this year’s Grammys. Listen here YouTube Music WE ARE is a Verve rele...

I adore the abstract cover art of this. It’s like seeing a picture of the inside of a volcano, but when you zoom in, the quality goes down and it becomes fuzzy. Okay, okay. I know it’s two short EP reviews in a row, but I’ve been busy, alright? I’ve just really wanted to cover this. Iconic New Jersey producer Clams Casino recently dropped Winter Flower , a beat tape that certainly caught my attention because, well, it’s new Clams Casino. I like him. There was a pretty big part of this that caught me off guard of this project, and that was that this is very skeletal and each track is pretty short. It’s something new to hear from Clams, at least to me it is, and it’s pretty cool. One thing I’ve always appreciated about a good amount of his work, and especially on here, is that it truly does work on its own. Sure, you could probably put a rapper like Yung Lean over it and it could work, but it still works just as well as instrumentals. Overall, Winter Flower is something I’d never compla...

Earlier this week, the official nominations for the 2022 Grammy Awards were finally revealed, and even if you think the Grammys aren’t hot shit anymore, I think it’s a big deal for newer artists. Having that ‘Grammy-nominated’ or ‘Grammy-winning’ stamp in front of your name is huge for smaller artists or artists who haven’t won Grammys yet. So, I’m gonna go through every major category and the categories I care about and list the nominees, who I think should win, and what I think will win in said category. Let’s get into it. Album of the Year Jon Batiste - WE ARE Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga - Love for Sale Justin Bieber - Justice Doja Cat - Planet Her Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever H.E.R. - Back of My Mind Lil Nas X - MONTERO Olivia Rodrigo - SOUR Taylor Swift - Evermore Kanye West - Donda What Will Win?: SOUR What Should Win?: Donda or MONTERO Record of the Year ABBA - “I Still Have Faith in You” Jon Batiste - “Freedom” Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga - “I Get a Kick Out of You” Justi...

It’s wild to see someone like Mach-Hommy on the same project as H.E.R. and Thundercat. Alright, short project, short review. KAYTRANADA, who recently swept last year’s dance/electronic categories with his last album, a masterpiece titled Bubba , dropped a 3-track EP, Intimidated , and mostly has the features that I’d expect with KAYTRANADA. Thundercat would most likely work on paper and a H.E.R. collaboration has happened in the past and worked, but the biggest surprise here is Mach-Hommy, one of the most mysterious figures in underground rap right now, being on this type of production. The H.E.R. track is probably my favorite song on here, mainly because of its slickness and because she gels really well with his bouncy sound. The Thundercat track sadly might be my least favorite, but that’s not a knock against him at all because he’s a genuine talent and maybe it’ll grow on me soon. The Mach-Hommy track is honestly pretty nice too, and I don’t have access to the entirety of Mach’s dis...

This may not be true, but I saw that 500,000 copies of vinyl of this are being made just for the U.S. alone for this week. Good god. Okay, Adele doesn’t need any type of introduction whatsoever. Honestly, just look at the sentence above. That many copies sold on a dying format is gonna be nuts and this album will easily have the biggest opening week of the year and at least since HER LAST ALBUM, 2015’s 25 . Either way, it’s a pretty huge deal that Adele is back. We know she has a great reputation for dropping great albums since she’s been on a great run, so let’s not waste any more time and get into 30 . I’d actually like to state something about the lyrics and writing here, but it’s worth noting. Adele went through a pretty rough divorce with her husband and it really affected the content of this album. I say that because I think the lyrics could’ve been written a little better, but that’s just a little personal preference. Outside of that, Adele sounds incredible, as always. Her voca...

British punk is one of the surprise subgenres of 2021 that finally clicked for me. I don’t know much about Idles, but I had heard a couple of their albums, which are 2018’s Joy as an Act of Resistance and 2020’s Ultra Mono . I ended up liking both of them, so in that mindset, I decided to check out their newest album, whenever that would be released. I was just surprised that it ended up coming out this soon. This one’s called CRAWLER , and like most albums in this genre, I ended up going in blind and not listening to any of the singles. So, let’s not waste any more time and get into CRAWLER . What I think is the biggest thing that sets it apart from the other Idles albums I’ve heard is that this sounds the most intense out of all of them. You know what’s funny? That’s really all I have for it. It was pretty intense, vocalist Joe Talbot is pretty intense most of the time, and the track “Car Crash” is one of the most intense songs I’ve heard this year. I think it’s pretty impressive th...

You know what? I might buy this on vinyl for the cover alone. Damon Albarn is a musician I’ve admired for a long time now. He ended up being a gateway to some of my favorite artists ever because of Gorillaz and I’ve always liked his work for Blur, but he hasn’t truly had much of a solo career. He’s released one solo album, 2014’s Everyday Robots, and he confirmed that he has another Gorillaz album planned for some time next year. In the meantime, he’s recorded The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows , announced back in 2019 as a tribute to Iceland. I’ve been excited for this for a while now, so let’s not waste time and get into it. Honestly, there was one album that came to mind when listening to it, and that’s David Bowie’s final album, Blackstar . This album has the oddball, jazzy tone that made Blackstar so beloved and I’m finally glad that there’s a similar album to that. I try not to use direct comparisons like that, but I feel that this was too big to ignore. The pro...

I don’t know how Aesop Rock and Blockhead made fanart of my college dorm room. Aesop Rock has slowly become one of my favorite rappers in recent memory. His first couple of albums, Float and Labor Days , along with The Impossible Kid and his collaboration with Tobacco, Malibu Ken , are among some of my favorite albums ever and I pretty much drop everything when I hear he drops. When it was announced that he’d finally make an entire album with his longtime producer Blockhead, titled Garbology , I was super excited about it. I didn’t hear any of the singles going into it, so let’s just not waste any more time and get into it. I think that it’s safe to assume that Blockhead’s produced some of Aes’s best songs, and I’m very glad that this album lives up to the hype. Both Aesop Rock and Blockhead work very well with each other, as heard in the past, and it’s satisfying to hear that the chemistry hasn’t gone away yet. It was also a pleasant surprise to hear Billy Woods pop up on “Legerdema...

It’s crazy that literally everyone I know was talking about Silk Sonic and I forgot this dropped the same day. When the first album in this new era of Taylor Swift’s career, Fearless (Taylor’s Version) , I ended up giving it a perfect score. It’s not a giant deal or anything like that, but by that logic, would I have to give the other ones the same score? So, we’re gonna change something up. I’ve heard the original Red album from 2012, and it’s safe to assume that the re-recorded songs are going to be relatively the same. So, here’s what’s gonna happen for this review. I’m gonna focus on the From the Vault songs, the cut songs from the original album that were recorded for the first time. So, let’s not waste any more time and get into Red (Taylor’s Version) . Let’s just get through the most anticipated aspect of this album, and that’s the new version of “All Too Well.” Widely considered to be one of her best songs, there was much to this song that was left on the cutting room floor, a...

Holy shit, it’s finally here. You know, I could safely say that this is my most anticipated album of 2021. Who the hell would ever imagine Bruno Mars, an industry titan and hit-making machine, and Anderson .Paak, one of the most underrated yet most respected artists working now (who also happens to be one of my favorite musicians ever), to team up for an entire album under a new name, Silk Sonic? I know a couple of people that doubted this, but right when I heard the news of them working together, I knew this was gonna be an absolute treasure. The three singles released for this album, the chart-topping “Leave The Door Open,” the bubbly “Skate,” and my personal favorite “Smokin Out the Window,” were all damn near perfect. There was a level of chemistry between Mars and .Paak that’s rarely captured in music. I may not agree with this notion, but people I’ve asked have said that this is the closest we’ll ever get to having Michael Jackson and Prince working together. Either way, Silk Son...

Hearing that this is already one of the most successful R&B albums of all time on Apple Music is absolutely insane. I’m gonna be honest, I know absolutely nothing about Summer Walker outside of her drama with producer London On Da Track. I don’t even think I’ve heard a song of hers prior to listening to this album. What really got this album on my radar was the stat above, and it really piqued my interest in this album. Still Over It is the title of the project, and there’s really not much else to say about an intro on my end. Let’s just get into it. I’ll say that I do like the vibe that this gives off. It feels like an unreleased 90s neo-soul/R&B album that was finally unearthed for the public to hear. Of course, it doesn't all feel like that because of the occasional trap beats laden throughout, but I still like the feeling of it. I really don’t think Walker is that much of a powerhouse like Tinashe or Jazmine Sullivan or SZA (who has a great feature on this), but I thin...

Most of the people I know in my life weren’t even close to alive in between breaks of new ABBA material. It’s no question that ABBA is one of the most iconic and legendary musical acts of all time. I’d say that they’re also well known for their vocal harmonies. I mean, have you heard “Dancing Queen?” Have you heard “Waterloo?” Granted, even with the hype (or lack of hype) for this comeback album, Voyage , I was cautiously excited about this project. Hell, I never doubt ABBA for their artistic quality, but it’s literally 40 in between this album and their last, 1981’s The Visitors . So, does this new album live up to the massive expectations? Let’s see if it does. Honestly, they still have the vocals down pat, but the biggest standout to me is the production. It sounds damn fantastic, and quite frankly, I always thought that this was gonna be the case, but this was pretty surprising. I’d say that the biggest issue here is the biggest issue in nearly all of ABBA’s albums: too many ballad...

(A/N: This review will cover the remixes and new tracks on the album. Click here for my review of the base My Agenda album. ) Can they get me early access to the XBOY 360 console? Dorian Electra is an artist that’s increasingly impressed me since they’ve burst onto the scene. Their 2019 debut album, Flamboyant , was something I more appreciated than enjoyed, but last year’s immensely horny My Agenda really shot them into the stratosphere in my mind. To me, they’re the reigning ruler of hyperpop right now. Hell, their remix of Lady Gaga’s “Replay” is one of the damn best songs of the year. Now, we have a new expansion to My Agenda , which includes a slew of remixes, new versions, and even brand new songs recorded during the My Agenda sessions. Let’s get into my thoughts on it. Honestly, I’m just gonna come out and say that the new version of “Gentleman” with d0llywood1 and Danny Brown is my personal favorite track out of the remixes. It’s a rare example of a remix being an expansion o...

Synths mixed with indie rock is honestly a combo that shouldn’t work but does. Maryland musician Lindsey Jordan, better known as Snail Mail, is an artist that I never expected to like as much as I did. Her debut album, 2018’s Lush , is one of my favorite releases of the indie rock genre and when her sophomore release, Valentine , was announced, I was over the moon hyped. Honestly, I don’t have much else to say about it. I’m in the dark on it because I didn’t listen to any of the singles, so let’s just get into Valentine and see how it is. This album is short but sweet with 10 songs 30 minutes in length, so there’s not a lot of room for mistakes. The production from Bon Iver collaborator Brad Cook is very sweet sounding, but I do think the standout here is Jordan. I think that it’s a good showcase of how talented Jordan is as a writer and vocalist. It’s one of the rare albums that isn’t great because of how forward-thinking it is but is great for how much progression there is in the ar...

No, I’m not going to score this a 2.5/10 because it’s the mixtape title. I’m gonna be honest, Aminé came out of nowhere to me last year. I always knew his name for the “Caroline” single from a few years back, but it just didn’t really appeal to me that much at the time. Last year, that really changed with his last album, Limbo . That project was one of the biggest and best surprises of 2020 to me and there are quite a few tracks from it still in my playlist over a year after its release. Hell, I’ll stand by the fact that it’s one of the best albums of that year. Now, continuing with his release pattern of album-mixtape, we now have the mixtape, the aptly titled TWOPOINTFIVE . I heard the single beforehand, the bubbly and great “Charmander,” so let’s get into my thoughts on it. Right when I finished my first listen to this, there are two albums I thought of: Rico Nasty’s Nightmare Vacation and Kanye West’s Yeezus . When it comes to the Rico comparison, I think they’re in the same lane....

This is a late Halloween tribute right here. Back when I did those bite-size music reviews on YouTube, one of my more popular videos was my first exposure to rapper Sematary and his critically acclaimed Rainbow Bridge 3 . I said that it was ‘loud as fuck.’ At the time, it ended up not being a positive thing, but after some convincing from some friends and a couple more listens, it actually grew on me quite a bit. In honor of All Hallow’s Eve, Sematary has dropped a new mixtape, Screaming Forest . Let’s get into it. I’m usually into the harsher sounds of his music, even if I’ve only heard Rainbow Bridge 3 . That being said, I’ll say that this is a little more subdued. A little. This is insanely loud music. This is the definition of music that will scare the hoes. The little subgenre of trap metal has been very specific and has a very small space in rap as a whole, but with this album, it’s really making a good yet small statement. Although, it feels like there’s a Sematary clone on here...

If he isn’t on a label right now, Ransom should join Rome Streetz on Griselda. I have to admit, this was on my list for albums that I’ve wanted to happen. I just didn’t expect it so soon. On their own, Ransom and Rome Streetz are incredible rappers, and they both happen to feature on one of my favorite songs of the year, “Kill All Rats” from Conway the Machine’s and Big Ghost Ltd.’s joint album, IF IT BLEEDS, IT CAN BE KILLED . Now, we have an entire album from Rome Streetz and Ransom, titled Coup De Grâce . Let’s not waste any more time and get into it. There is one massive assumption that becomes clear whenever you listen to artists like these, and that both rappers perform really well. Like in the past, their writing and flows are top-notch and they’re quite reliable. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the best album of their careers from a writing standpoint. However, there’s a big part of this that really hurts this album, personally, and that’s the production. I ju...

Ed said that he’d make a death metal album if the demand was there. You know what to do, guys. It’s no question that Ed Sheeran is one of the biggest musicians on the planet right now. At one point, I’d argue that he was the biggest musician on the planet. This series of math-related albums, which has been going on since 2011, is the most successful series of albums ever. That’s a strong achievement, and I won’t be surprised if this album does well here. The second album in this series, X , is pretty easily my favorite of his, but he’s been drastically declining since then. Now, we have = , and if I’m being honest, I haven’t heard a single track from this until now. So, let’s just get right into doing math. I think I’m gonna throw a hot take out here: Ed Sheeran is very much like Drake at this point in his career. They’re both too big to fail now, and they’re both gonna sell so many records before and after their careers finish. In the area of music reviewing that I’m (somewhat) popula...

I mean, I expect a good release. Seeing earlier this week that Big Sean had left G.O.O.D. Music for Def Jam, it’s an interesting yet exciting career move. He had finally fulfilled his contract with G.O.O.D. Music with his best album yet, 2020’s Detroit II . Now, for his first EP, titled What You Expect , he reteams with Hit-Boy for a short and sweet collection of tracks. This could be the project that we get a better view of Sean’s future, and I’m all for it. Let’s get into What You Expect and see if what I expected came to pass. I tend to be honest here, but I want to be honest about this project. This has some of Sean’s best writing of his career. I know that people have given him shit about his lines, but I’ve never really minded him from that aspect. Like in the past, he also has a great voice and at this point, he’s very recognizable too. Since this is also a Hit-Boy EP, I’d like to focus on him for a second. He’s been on a roll lately with his production for Big Sean, along with...