Reviews
PLUTO Mixtape: Diary of a Young Lit B*tch Is a Cash-First Sermon
PLUTO mixtape energy flips strip-club rap: she pays herself first, auditions men, collects women, and only gets shaky when violence is the whole point. Strip-club rap usually runs on a... more »
Precious Cargo Review: Maiya the Don’s Flex-Pop Rap Isn’t “Deep”—It’s Sharp
Precious Cargo turns “influencer-to-rapper” skepticism into a loud, polished argument—and it wins more often than it should. Most albums want you to believe the artist “found themselves.”... more »
T.I. Kill the King Review: A Crown-Tossing Flex That Still Sweats
Kill the King isn’t a retirement lap—it’s T.I. checking the “King of the South” myth for cracks, then rapping through them anyway. Image credit: Grand Hustle LLC / EMPIRE.... more »
Ibeyi Offering Album Review: a “homecoming” that ditches the drums
Ibeyi Offering is what happens when the twins cut the band setup loose and dare you to stare straight at their voices. I kept waiting for the familiar anchors: the drum kit, the piano,... more »
TERRA COTTA Review: Joseph Solomon Makes Heartbreak Sound Like Airport Food
Joseph Solomon’s TERRA COTTA turns long-distance love into a repeating exit row sermon—tender, paranoid, and weirdly brave about the mess. This isn’t an album that “tells a story.” It... more »
Truck Violence Review: “the weathervane is my body” Isn’t Subtle—Good
Truck Violence drag noise rock through the woods with banjo, sludge riffs, and brief mercy. It’s nasty, pretty, and over too fast. Some records want to be understood. This one wants to... more »
The Pretty Reckless Dear God Album Review: a prayer with a guitar solo
A powerful, dark, and emotionally raw fifth studio album that balances heavy rock aggression with vulnerability, marking a bold statement from The Pretty Reckless. The Pretty... more »
Public Luxury Review: Downtown Boys’ “Luxury” Is a Fist in a Silk Glove
Public Luxury isn’t trying to save you—it’s trying to wake you up, even if it has to shout in Spanish over industrial-punk clang to do it. Nine years is a long time for a punk band to go... more »
Naomi Sharon’s No Sleep in Paradise Review: Pretty, Petty, and Awake
Naomi Sharon’s No Sleep in Paradise isn’t trying to impress you—it’s trying to keep you up with a quiet kind of control, until the silence starts winning. Some singers show you power by... more »
O.Y.N Review: Maxo Kream Ages in Street Rap Without “Growing Up”
An O.Y.N review of Maxo Kream’s blunt middle-ground: still reckless, suddenly reflective, and annoyingly honest about what age does to a rap life. Street rap doesn’t leave much room... more »
kwn EP Review: “and all pride aside” Is Horny… Then It Pulls the Floor Out
An unfiltered listen through the kwn EP that starts as a seduction flex and ends as a quiet collapse—with “kwn EP” appetite, ego, and aftermath all left on the sheets. There’s a long... more »
Temptation’s Gates Review: Amberian Dawn’s New Singer, Old Tricks (Finally)
Temptation’s Gates hits like a tidy 40-minute reboot: Nicole Willerton fronts Amberian Dawn with pop-tight hooks, 80s stomp, and just enough bite to matter. Symphonic metal has this awkward... more »
Not Midnight Yet Review: Phantom’s Coffin Riffs Won’t Behave (Sorry)
Not Midnight Yet turns old-school speed/thrash into a haunted-house sprint—organ stabs, tyrant riffs, and a 56-minute refusal to shut up. I put on Not Midnight Yet expecting a... more »
Call Me If: Tyler’s Flex-Vacation Rap That Secretly Cries
Call Me If turns luxury into a coping mechanism—DJ Drama yells, Tyler brags, and somehow the most expensive moments sound the loneliest. Courtesy of Columbia Records. Tyler walks into... more »
Trip Meadow Album Review: Druidess Bring Doom Rock Back (Too Much?)
Trip Meadow turns Druidess into a time-traveling doom rock act—fuzzy keys, long builds, and big choruses, even when the songs start to blur together. Rock doesn’t “need” to go back to... more »
Crowned In Grey Skies Review: Trad Metal With a Sword—and One Flat Tire
Cr Crowned In Grey Skies is trad metal on purpose: big riffs, baritone grit, and stubborn pacing. It swings hard, then repeats itself like it dares you to notice. Some albums want to... more »
Madness Reigns Review: Savatage’s “Lost” 1990 Live Show Is Too Good
Madness Reigns captures Savatage in 1990 sounding weirdly modern—heavy, theatrical, and slightly unhinged in the best way. Some live albums feel like souvenirs. Madness Reigns From The... more »
Exploring Birdsong’s Every House We Built Is Pop-Prog With a Hidden Knife
Exploring Birdsong turns soft synth-pop into a haunted mansion—Every House We Built makes you dance, then checks your pulse. Some albums try to impress you. This one quietly rearranges your... more »