The Gauntlet Run: June 2022
Welcome to the first edition of The Gauntlet Run. I’m gonna go through some albums/EPs that I didn’t get the chance to review when they dropped within the past few months! These aren’t going to be too thorough, but hopefully, it’s enough to tide you over on the albums I didn’t check out.
42 Dugg & EST Gee - Last Ones Left
It’s pretty easy for me to say that drill really isn’t my favorite kind of rap, but I can definitely see the appeal in Last Ones Left. 42 Dugg and EST Gee have damn good chemistry across the entire project, but I do think it was a little too long for me. I picked and chose my favorites off this, but I’m not really coming back to it.
Alison Wonderland - Loner
As I’ve stated for a while now, I’ve grown out of my love for EDM, save for a few other projects. I was hoping that Alison Wonderland would change this since I loved her last album, Run, so much, but Loner just didn’t do anything for me. The beats were just kind of okay, and the thing I actually enjoyed the most was her voice. Other than that, Loner just came and went.
BabyTron - MEGATRON
I never knew about BabyTron, not even that he had hype around him for the longest time. God damn, this is a good project. He’s got a great flow and he’s just genuinely fun to listen to. The only problem I have with this is that there’s a lot of filler on here, but I’m definitely gonna keep an eye on him.
Camila Cabello - Familia
I’ve always selected a couple of songs from Camila Cabello, but she’s never really stood out to me as a solo artist. However, I do think that this is her most memorable album. I think the idea of family as a throughline is a very interesting idea for an album, but I just wish the music itself was more realized.
Elzhi & Georgia Anne Muldrow - Zhigeist
Having been familiar with Georgia Anne Muldrow for a while, this is my first time checking out Elzhi. This had a great 90s vibe and I enjoyed Elzhi’s writing out of everything. Muldrow’s production is pretty great too, and this just was a very good listen. Definitely have to check out Elzhi more.
Everything Everything - Raw Data Feel
Having not heard a lot of Everything Everything’s music, this was a very nerdy album. The lyrics being kind of written by an AI is an interesting gimmick, but it really didn’t click for me that much. Apparently, this is getting a lot of praise, and I understand why, but simply put, this just isn’t my thing.
Ghost - IMPERA
Like shoegaze, I’m very particular with what kind of metal I like. While glam metal isn’t my favorite subgenre of metal, I think this is the closest I’ve gotten to liking it. Ghost went pretty campy on this and it made for a very fun listening experience. It’s like if they forced ABBA to make a metal record and as weird as that sounds, I’m all for it.
Isaac Zale - Father of the Zodiac
I first heard Isaac Zale from his great debut album None of the Keys Fit, and while it took me a minute, I enjoy this a lot too. I’ve always enjoyed Zale’s rapping and he’s a great beat picker too. The great Blu feature is a great endorsement too, so get Zale on your radar ASAP.
Jack White - Fear of the Dawn
Jack White’s always been an interesting musician to me, whether that’s been in The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and his solo work. While his first two solo albums didn’t gel with me, Boarding House Reach actually worked for me. Fear of the Dawn leans more towards the experimental sides, but I actually enjoy it a lot more for that reason.
Kehlani - Blue Water Road
As I’ve continued to listen to Kehlani’s music, I’ve enjoyed the progression they’ve made as an artist over their career. This project has a very organic, spiritual vibe that feels like only Kehlani can pull off. Another big highlight is pulling a good Justin Bieber, which is rare these days.
Mike Dean - SMOKE STATE 42222
Like his last album 4:20, I completely missed the fact that this dropped, and Mike Dean really continues to push this experimental side of him. The electronic/ambient vibes. A couple of songs and the rest of the tracks being the stems is a cool idea, but it just didn’t vibe with me I was hoping it could.
mxmtoon - rising
This originally was on the main schedule, but I just felt like I had nothing to say about mxmtoon. However, if you’re a fan of the alt-pop/bedroom pop vibe, I think this is up your alley! I do see the potential of her becoming a superstar, though, and I fully understand why she’s gotten the fanbase she has.
Otoboke Beaver - Super Champon
Otoboke Beaver is the definition of “all killer, no filler” and Super Champon continues this hot streak they’re on. Like the cover, it’s colorful, vibrant, and loud as fuck. This is without a doubt one of the best noise-rock projects of the year so far.
Parannoul - White Ceiling / Black Dots Wandering Around
I’ve found out that I’m very picky when it comes to the shoegaze genre, but I have my favorites, Parannoul being one of them. This is just proof that Parannoul doesn’t miss. Even though this is an EP, I feel like this is his most ambitious works yet. The 17-minute “White Ceiling” demo is one of the best tracks of the year so far.
Ravyn Lenae - Hypnos
I’m very happy that this album lived up to the hype for me, mainly because I was hoping for more of a forward-thinking mainstream R&B album. Out of all the albums on this list, this is the one I’m disappointed that I didn’t get on the schedule. Ravyn Lenae is a genuine talent and Hypnos should be a lesson to many artists on how to make a debut album.
Sadistik & Kno - Bring Me Back When the World Is Cured
I’m finally getting into Sadistik, and I think this was the perfect starting point for me. His lyrics are haunting and his flows are unmatched, and the pairing with Kno’s soul-tinged beats make it even better. I'm hoping to get into more of Sadistik's work sooner rather than later.
SEVENTEEN - Face the Sun
This is my first exposure to K-pop group SEVENTEEN and… this is why I’ve started The Gauntlet Run. This literally did nothing for me. It was pleasant when it was on, but nothing truly stood out for me. Maybe this was the worst album for me to start with, but it’s not getting me to check out their other work.
Tropical Fuck Storm + King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Satanic Slumber Party
While I’m fully aware of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, this is my first time hearing anything by Tropical Fuck Storm, and this wasn’t that bad at all. It felt much more like a Tropical Fuck Storm project than a KGLW project, but since I liked it, perhaps it’ll get me to listen to more of their work.
Wilco - Cruel Country
I’m not fully aware of Wilco’s entire discography outside of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and Schmilco, but this has to be my least favorite out of the bunch. I do think the production sounds great and Jeff Tweedy’s writing is always quite good, but the country-leaning aspects just fell flat for me, and speaking of country…
Zach Bryan - American Heartbreak
You know how I feel about modern country music, it just isn’t my vibe. So, I felt like there was a glitch in the matrix when I heard American Heartbreak. Zach Bryan is a genuinely great songwriter, and even if this project is WAY too long, I see the potential of him becoming a superstar. Yes, I like a modern country artist now. I’ve come full circle.
42 Dugg & EST Gee - Last Ones Left
It’s pretty easy for me to say that drill really isn’t my favorite kind of rap, but I can definitely see the appeal in Last Ones Left. 42 Dugg and EST Gee have damn good chemistry across the entire project, but I do think it was a little too long for me. I picked and chose my favorites off this, but I’m not really coming back to it.
Alison Wonderland - Loner
As I’ve stated for a while now, I’ve grown out of my love for EDM, save for a few other projects. I was hoping that Alison Wonderland would change this since I loved her last album, Run, so much, but Loner just didn’t do anything for me. The beats were just kind of okay, and the thing I actually enjoyed the most was her voice. Other than that, Loner just came and went.
BabyTron - MEGATRON
I never knew about BabyTron, not even that he had hype around him for the longest time. God damn, this is a good project. He’s got a great flow and he’s just genuinely fun to listen to. The only problem I have with this is that there’s a lot of filler on here, but I’m definitely gonna keep an eye on him.
Camila Cabello - Familia
I’ve always selected a couple of songs from Camila Cabello, but she’s never really stood out to me as a solo artist. However, I do think that this is her most memorable album. I think the idea of family as a throughline is a very interesting idea for an album, but I just wish the music itself was more realized.
Elzhi & Georgia Anne Muldrow - Zhigeist
Having been familiar with Georgia Anne Muldrow for a while, this is my first time checking out Elzhi. This had a great 90s vibe and I enjoyed Elzhi’s writing out of everything. Muldrow’s production is pretty great too, and this just was a very good listen. Definitely have to check out Elzhi more.
Everything Everything - Raw Data Feel
Having not heard a lot of Everything Everything’s music, this was a very nerdy album. The lyrics being kind of written by an AI is an interesting gimmick, but it really didn’t click for me that much. Apparently, this is getting a lot of praise, and I understand why, but simply put, this just isn’t my thing.
Ghost - IMPERA
Like shoegaze, I’m very particular with what kind of metal I like. While glam metal isn’t my favorite subgenre of metal, I think this is the closest I’ve gotten to liking it. Ghost went pretty campy on this and it made for a very fun listening experience. It’s like if they forced ABBA to make a metal record and as weird as that sounds, I’m all for it.
Isaac Zale - Father of the Zodiac
I first heard Isaac Zale from his great debut album None of the Keys Fit, and while it took me a minute, I enjoy this a lot too. I’ve always enjoyed Zale’s rapping and he’s a great beat picker too. The great Blu feature is a great endorsement too, so get Zale on your radar ASAP.
Jack White - Fear of the Dawn
Jack White’s always been an interesting musician to me, whether that’s been in The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and his solo work. While his first two solo albums didn’t gel with me, Boarding House Reach actually worked for me. Fear of the Dawn leans more towards the experimental sides, but I actually enjoy it a lot more for that reason.
Kehlani - Blue Water Road
As I’ve continued to listen to Kehlani’s music, I’ve enjoyed the progression they’ve made as an artist over their career. This project has a very organic, spiritual vibe that feels like only Kehlani can pull off. Another big highlight is pulling a good Justin Bieber, which is rare these days.
Mike Dean - SMOKE STATE 42222
Like his last album 4:20, I completely missed the fact that this dropped, and Mike Dean really continues to push this experimental side of him. The electronic/ambient vibes. A couple of songs and the rest of the tracks being the stems is a cool idea, but it just didn’t vibe with me I was hoping it could.
mxmtoon - rising
This originally was on the main schedule, but I just felt like I had nothing to say about mxmtoon. However, if you’re a fan of the alt-pop/bedroom pop vibe, I think this is up your alley! I do see the potential of her becoming a superstar, though, and I fully understand why she’s gotten the fanbase she has.
Otoboke Beaver - Super Champon
Otoboke Beaver is the definition of “all killer, no filler” and Super Champon continues this hot streak they’re on. Like the cover, it’s colorful, vibrant, and loud as fuck. This is without a doubt one of the best noise-rock projects of the year so far.
Parannoul - White Ceiling / Black Dots Wandering Around
I’ve found out that I’m very picky when it comes to the shoegaze genre, but I have my favorites, Parannoul being one of them. This is just proof that Parannoul doesn’t miss. Even though this is an EP, I feel like this is his most ambitious works yet. The 17-minute “White Ceiling” demo is one of the best tracks of the year so far.
Ravyn Lenae - Hypnos
I’m very happy that this album lived up to the hype for me, mainly because I was hoping for more of a forward-thinking mainstream R&B album. Out of all the albums on this list, this is the one I’m disappointed that I didn’t get on the schedule. Ravyn Lenae is a genuine talent and Hypnos should be a lesson to many artists on how to make a debut album.
Sadistik & Kno - Bring Me Back When the World Is Cured
I’m finally getting into Sadistik, and I think this was the perfect starting point for me. His lyrics are haunting and his flows are unmatched, and the pairing with Kno’s soul-tinged beats make it even better. I'm hoping to get into more of Sadistik's work sooner rather than later.
SEVENTEEN - Face the Sun
This is my first exposure to K-pop group SEVENTEEN and… this is why I’ve started The Gauntlet Run. This literally did nothing for me. It was pleasant when it was on, but nothing truly stood out for me. Maybe this was the worst album for me to start with, but it’s not getting me to check out their other work.
Tropical Fuck Storm + King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Satanic Slumber Party
While I’m fully aware of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, this is my first time hearing anything by Tropical Fuck Storm, and this wasn’t that bad at all. It felt much more like a Tropical Fuck Storm project than a KGLW project, but since I liked it, perhaps it’ll get me to listen to more of their work.
Wilco - Cruel Country
I’m not fully aware of Wilco’s entire discography outside of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and Schmilco, but this has to be my least favorite out of the bunch. I do think the production sounds great and Jeff Tweedy’s writing is always quite good, but the country-leaning aspects just fell flat for me, and speaking of country…
Zach Bryan - American Heartbreak
You know how I feel about modern country music, it just isn’t my vibe. So, I felt like there was a glitch in the matrix when I heard American Heartbreak. Zach Bryan is a genuinely great songwriter, and even if this project is WAY too long, I see the potential of him becoming a superstar. Yes, I like a modern country artist now. I’ve come full circle.
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