The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: album review

  • Astral projecting with boygenius

    by Kianna Znika

    I’ve found a new appreciation for the act of dissociating, giving the once unhealthy coping mechanism of mine a whole new beautiful meaning. When getting lost in your own head with intention, you may feel as if you’re disconnecting from the world around you, but really, you find that you’re actually connecting deeper within yourself. Maybe, dare I say, you find a deeper connection with the life you think you’re hiding away from.

    Clearly, I tend to romanticize these deep, existential thoughts and feelings, which is why I love music that matches my energy.

     “Music to help you feel like you’re floating through space,” as I like to say. “Instant astral projection.” 

    It’s why I’ve been listening to a lot of shoegaze, indie dream-pop and folk artists such as Alvvays, Teen Suicide, The Sundays and, of course, Boygenius – one of my faves, as of late.

    Within the first few seconds of Boygenius’ newest EP, “the rest,” I was instantly brought into my own head and launched into deep space. What else could I have expected from a song titled “Black Hole?” That’s when I knew: this new Boygenius is going to hit.

    The 12 minute EP only consists of four songs, but carries all the best parts of Boygenius, from Phoebe Bridgers’ dreaminess to Julien Baker’s rawness and Lucy Dacus’ lyricism. Each member is already such a successful star on their own; together, they burn so much brighter. 

    It’s a beautiful thing to enjoy the art of queer women supporting one another, and getting to experience the product of their complementary talents. “the rest” was officially released on Oct. 13, just six months after the trio released their full-length album, “the record,” which features the group’s most popular tracks such as “Cool About It,” as well as mine and everyone’s favorite, “Not Strong Enough.” Don’t ask me how many times I’ve had the lyrics “Always an angel / Never a God” ringing in my head these past few months.

    One thing that really stuck out to me is Boygenius’ mutual respect and admiration for outer space, and how the group uses these themes in their music. It’s worth noting that the song “Not Strong Enough” starts off with the lyrics “Black hole opened in the kitchen” while their new EP literally starts with a song called “Black Hole.” These themes are continued in “Voyager” and “Powers” with lyrics like “Walkin’ alone in the city / Makes me feel like a man on the moon,” and “A hostile alien ambassador? / Or am I simply another of the universe’s failed experiments?”

    I feel those last lyrics, heavily.

    There is another theme within this short EP that I strongly relate to: someone you love urging you to take a fatal risk, and while you might not have been too excited about living life, you realize you don’t want to go just yet.

    “I don’t wanna live forever / But I don’t wanna die tonight.” Lucy Dacus, I see you. 

    And I know Boygenius somehow sees me too, because I don’t know how they knew I’ve literally been writing about the connection between getting lost in one’s head and floating through outer space, but I’m glad they did.

    This one is for all the other sad girls finding comfort and healing in the space inside their own minds. 

  • NEVER ENOUGH: Album Review

    NEVER ENOUGH: Album Review

    by Jake Knoeller

    Originally printed May 3, 2023

    R&B artist Daniel Caesar has made his return to the music industry in style. In April 2022, he released a breathtaking single titled “Please Do Not Lean,” featuring BADBADNOTGOOD. 

    This song was just a reminder of how good Daniel Caesar can be. I personally consider “Freudian,” his first studio album, to be one of the greatest albums of all time. When I found out Caesar had a new album coming out on April 7 of 2023, I had high hopes.

    I was not disappointed. The album clocks out at about 54 minutes, which is not too long. I was left in disbelief at how amazing it was.

    • “Ocho Rios” 

    It’s not often that an opener of an album is my favorite song, but this album kicks off with an absolute fiery ballad. This is one of the best songs released this year. The lyrics are some of his most vulnerable to date. The drum patterns mixed with the guitar solo make this track otherworldly. 

    • “Valentina”

    Caesar gets a bit more smooth on this song. I just know people are calling it “a vibe.” It’s perfect for a sunny day and not sugary enough to be annoying at all. The track just feels like summer.

    • “Toronto 2014” 

    This is what many people would call a comfort song, with some relaxing production and beautiful singing from feature artist Mustafa. “I can hear the bells ringing, reminding us why we’re still here singing,” is a standout line throughout the track.

    • “Let Me Go” 

    Probably the most cathartic song on “NEVER ENOUGH,” with heartfelt lyrics about a relationship that has reached its end. Caesar sings “Baby, won’t you let me go,” on a high-pitched hook that will make you levitate when you sing along to it. This track hurts, but in the best way. Look at Caesar making heartbreak fun again. 

    • “Do You Like Me?” 

    Capturing a not-so-unique situation, Caesar doesn’t know if the woman he likes has good intentions. “Guess we’ll find out, guess we’ll wait and see,” Caesar sings over more top tier production.

    • “Always”

    The typical love song about always being there for someone who you aren’t together with anymore, and the outro will give you goosebumps. It’s just another example of Daniel Caesar making a song that ensures listeners will feel something.

    • “Cool”

    This track is much more quiet, but still gets its point across with an atmospheric sound and a soft piano instrumental. 

    • “Disillusioned”

    The second song on the album to bring a feature, and guest artist serpentwithfeet does not disappoint. The song is groovy with an overall good vibe. It’s nice to have a song that just makes you smile on an album with a lot of emotions.

    • “Buyer’s Remorse” 

    This song doesn’t do much for me, even though I love seeing Daniel and Omar Apollo on a song together. It’s hard to describe this song because there’s just not a lot going on, but it’s not bad.

    • “Shot My Baby”

    Kind of absurd. Caesar decided to write about killing his lover, and as if that wasn’t enough, the man she was cheating with too. He channeled his inner SZA on this one. “I caught my lady being untrue, oh what was I supposed to do,” Daniel sings. Guest vocals from Justin Skye and a strangely muffled guitar solo make this song a fun listen though.

    • “Pain Is Inevitable” 

    I really connected with this one on the first listen of the album. It starts off with quality strings with crisp vocals on a nice beat, but the breakdown is where the song really gets good. The arrangement of noises midway through the song is very hard to explain, but it’s another song that makes you float to outer space. The acoustic ending with the soft vocals adds a nice touch.

    • “Homiesexual” 

    The transition into the next song is smoother than Jack Harlow talking to a woman he likes. The name of the song is strange to say the least, but that doesn’t change how catchy it is. Ty Dolla $ign is featured on the track, which is a surefire way to make it even better. 

    • “Vince Van Gogh” and “Superpowers,”

    These are the two songs I consider skips on the album, both being perplexing to listen to both in terms of the production and Caesar’s lyrics. 

    • “Unstoppable”

     The final track takes the quality back up again. It feels like a fitting closer to a sensational album.

    In my opinion, the album is nearly flawless. If you haven’t given it a listen, I think you should. There’s something for everyone, unless you just don’t have good music taste. 

    If people weren’t talking about Daniel Caesar alongside modern R&B legends such as Frank Ocean and The Weeknd, now would be the time to start.

  • Music of the Moment 4

    Music of the Moment 4

    YoungBoy Never Broke Again dodges the sophomore slump with his new album “Top.”

    Two years and six mixtapes since the release of his debut album, “Until Death Call My Name,” YoungBoy Never Broke Again has returned with his sophomore album, “Top.”

    Boasting sixteen solo mixtapes at 20 years old, YoungBoy is an artist who thrives on flooding the market with music. When it comes to releasing an album, however, YoungBoy has proven to follow a much more selective process.

    With “Until Death Call My Name,” YoungBoy delivered infectious performances either vocally, lyrically or both on all 20 tracks of the deluxe version. Paired with flawless beat selection, the album is a strong candidate to someday be looked back on as a classic. Now, with “Top,” YoungBoy carries that same infectious performance and flawless beat selection throughout the 21 track album.

    It’s clear on “Top” that YoungBoy has mastered the art of melodic rap. With two or three possible exceptions out of 21, YoungBoy delivers undeniably catchy hooks that often come off as effortless. With the tracks “Right Foot Creep” and “Big Bankroll,” YoungBoy doesn’t bother to establish a pattern and the hook still hits. The unique appeal of “Top,” however, is YoungBoy’s pairing of two, three or as many as four hooks on a single track, disguised as intros, outros, refrains or even within the verses – “Sticks With Me” being a prime example.

    Unlike YoungBoy’s first album, where the goal was to create a record catering directly to a mainstream audience, “Top” is packaged with several songs made specifically for his street supporters. While the tone of the tracks are generally abrasive, YoungBoy frequently flip-flops flows in each song, consistently delivering multidimensional-tracks that maintain mainstream appeal.

    Even on songs with less aggressive tones, like “House Arrest Tingz,” YoungBoy’s subject matter is focused in the streets and saturated with heavy themes of violence. While a deterrent for some people, there’s no question concerning the authenticity of the experiences YoungBoy raps about, barring occasional exaggeration. We’re made aware of just how dark that reality is on tracks like “All In,” where YoungBoy reveals his anxieties surrounding his health and safety, his dad’s questionable release from prison, and the threat of losing more loved ones to gang-related violence.

    Consistently, drastically switching flows and tones on most tracks along with providing more than twice as many hooks as songs on the album, it’s like Drake rapped on “5AM In Toronto,” “that’s why every song sound like Drake featuring Drake,” except it’s YoungBoy featuring Never Broke Again. In the oversaturated state of music today, it’s records like “Top” that stay on the charts, because of their knack for staying stuck in your head.

  • Music of the Moment 3

    Music of the Moment 3

    For better or worse, Big Sean is likely gone for good.

    After taking a three year hiatus, following luke-warm reception to his 2017 album “I Decided,” and an overwhelmingly negative response to the collaborative album he released later that year with Metro Boomin – ironically titled “Double or Nothing” – Big Sean’s new album “Detroit 2” marks a permanent step away from superstardom.

    Sequel to the 2012 mixtape “Detroit,” part two – the album version – delivers a much different experience in almost every regard. Each project boasts features from some of the biggest artists in the game at the time and each project features interludes from three highly respected entertainers, however, the similarities end there.

    Previously rapping about fame, fortune and the fast-life, with 2017’s “I Decided.” Sean took his music in a new direction of peace, positivity and personal growth. Doubling down on these new themes in “Detroit 2,” Sean delivers his second solo-album in a row without an undeniable hit-record like “I Don’t Fuck With You” or “Clique.”

    Leading up to the release of “Detroit 2,” Sean set the tone releasing “Deep Reverence,” featuring the late Crenshaw king, Nipsey Hussle. On the track, Sean opens up about his overblown beef with Kendrick Lamar, the baby he lost and thoughts of suicide. Sean, only displays this level of vulnerability once more on the song “Lucky Me,” where he speaks to his public break-up with R&B singer and current girlfriend Jhené Aiko and having been diagnosed with heart disease at 19-years-old. These topics are all left at the surface level and unfortunately, we never get to hear directly how Sean feels about any of it – only that he’s gone through it.

    After focusing an entire album around the theme of reflection with “I Decided,” Sean captures his life path and what it’s cost him with an effortless delivery, resembling conversation, on the track “Everything That’s Missing.” Along with “Guard Your Heart,” “Full Circle” and “Feed,” in which he focuses on the conflictions within fame. These are the songs where Sean is in his element.

    On the flip side of things, time and time again on this project, Sean falls short of a hit-record – lacking the undeniable catchiness factor on the song “Harder Than My Demons,” not giving Post Malone the entire chorus of “Wolves” or letting Travis Scott give up half-way through the hook on “Lithuania.” For someone with as much experience as Sean, it’s as if he’s actively trying to avoid a hit.

    Fortunately, Sean saves the best for last, ending the album on an extremely high note, beginning with the song “Don Life,” featuring a strong verse from Lil Wayne and sampling the legendary Michael Jackson’s classic song “Human Nature.”

    For the next track, “Friday Night Cypher,” Sean recruits 10 fellow Detroit MCs to rap over eight different beats that mostly cater to each artist. Sean delivers two of his best performances of the album on these songs and the latter is a moment not soon to be forgotten by fans of hip-hop.

    With “Detroit 2,” Sean delivers a project more honest and open than anything he’s released before but at the cost of the quality of his music. After three years off, Sean’s musical abilities remain unchanged and his concept of quality has suffered. Most songs are ruined by a bad flow here, a lazy hook, poor arrangements or overproduction that make them hard to listen to outside of the context of the album.

  • The Overnight Sensation is Back at It Again

    The Overnight Sensation is Back at It Again

    DaBaby releases his third album in 13 months, “BLAME IT ON BABY”

    Capitalizing on a unique sound and unique circumstances, with COVID-19 providing more available listeners than ever before, DaBaby is flooding the market—a strategy that’s proven most useful to artists like Lil Wayne and Young Thug in the past. Coming less than seven months after his previous effort, “KIRK,” and only a year after his extremely successful debut, “Baby on Baby,” DaBaby has returned with his third album, “BLAME IT ON BABY.”

    Since his introduction to mainstream hip-hop with his platinum-hit-record, “Suge,” DaBaby has kept his name relevant in the media with a string of negative headlines, most recently “accidentally” slapping a female fan. Despite the negative nature of these incidents, each headline only seems to contribute to his success.

    A great deal of DaBaby’s launch into the mainstream can be credited to arguably the most impressive feature run from a rookie, landing himself a verse on songs with the likes of Chance the Rapper, J. Cole and Post Malone and playing a standout role on each of the associated albums. This earned DaBaby the attention of hip-hop fans everywhere.

    “He’s just different from everybody else—his style, the way he goes about it. I just like him cause you can never tell what direction he’s gonna go with it.”

    Jesus Ontiverof, College of the Redwoods student

    Although nothing on “BLAME IT ON BABY” is as personal as “Intro” from “KIRK,” DaBaby switches up the vibe in the second quarter of the album, revealing his emotional side while he sings on “SAD SH*T,” “FIND MY WAY” and “ROCKSTAR.”

    “BLAME IT ON BABY” is still mostly filled with the party music that we expect from DaBaby, with raw lyrics about guns, girls and guap laid over high-energy beats intended to be played at high volumes.

    Jesus Ontiverof plans to transfer to Humboldt State University after completing the nursing program at College of the Redwoods. As a casual fan of DaBaby, Ontiverof enjoys all his music.

    “He’s just different from everybody else—his style, the way he goes about it,” Ontiverof said. “I just like him cause you can never tell what direction he’s gonna go with it.”

    “A lot of his music sounds the same, which is kind of a bummer. But I do like some of his shit when he mixes it up.”

    Jay Coch, kinesiology major

    HSU kinesiology major Jay Coch has a different view and experience with DaBaby’s music.

    “A lot of his music sounds the same, which is kind of a bummer,” Coch said. “But I do like some of his shit when he mixes it up.”

    Even though Coch wasn’t eagerly awaiting the new release, he can’t knock the hustle.

    “For him, it seems like he’s being pretty successful putting out a lot of music,” Coch said. “A lot of people like that. They’re like ‘Drop more music, drop more music,’ but it would be cool [if] he took a little more time and really mixed it up and thought about his lyrics more, and actually put himself out there as a musician more than just a big name in the rap industry.”

    Despite having its moments on the song “ROCKSTAR,” with a feature from the other hottest new name in rap, Roddy Ricch, and another feature on the song, “NASTY,” with DaBaby’s biggest featured guest to date, Ashanti, “BLAME IT ON BABY” is easily his most forgettable album yet.

  • Joyner Drops Disappointing Debut

    Joyner Drops Disappointing Debut

    Grammy-nominated rapper Joyner Lucas shares his debut album, “ADHD,” with the world

    Joyner Lucas, the 31-year-old rapper, first caught traction with his 2015 music video, “Ross Capicchioni.” In the video, Lucas reimagined the true story of a gang initiation gone wrong that nearly claimed the life of a high school student.

    The video’s success can be attributed to the unique strategy Lucas chose, taking on both the perspective of the victim and the criminal. Lucas has managed to keep his name relevant over the years with a string of viral music videos, including the critically praised “I’m Not Racist” and the polarizing “Devil’s Work.”

    Humboldt State University alumnus De’Aundray Gooden has been a fan of Lucas since “Ross Capicchioni.”

    “I think he brings a lot of awareness to certain subjects people don’t feel comfortable talking about,” Gooden said.

    Gooden’s favorite Joyner Lucas songs are “I’m Sorry” and “Devil’s Work.” The first track follows a suicide note as it’s being written into the hands of the victim’s brother or cousin. In the latter song, Lucas calls out to God, questioning his choices in the young men and women he’s chosen to take.

    “We don’t pay attention to people until they die,” Gooden said. “We need to pay attention to the people who are alive, and appreciate them for what they’re doing now.”

    Lucas also racked up hundreds of millions of views on YouTube over a short series of remixes, between 2016 and 2018, and eventually caught the attention of rap god Eminem. Lucas secured a spot on the highest performing song from 2018’s “Kamikaze,” “Lucky You.” The high-tier rapping ability that earned Lucas the legendary co-sign has also contributed to beef with platinum-selling rapper Logic and R&B singer Tory Lanez. The beefs have since been squashed, both resulting in gained exposure and new content, including the third single from “ADHD,” “ISIS,” featuring Logic.

    HSU’s soccer goalkeeper, Tab Heinz, is a fan of old school hip-hop, and appreciated Lucas’ meaningful lyrics and authentic sound.

    “I appreciate the older stuff a little bit more than the newer stuff,” Heinz said. “I like the older style of making music. He has a super cool flow and rhyme scheme. I like the way he doesn’t sound too mainstream. He kinda has more of the underground style.”

    Lucas followed up “ISIS” with the rags to riches track, “Broke and Stupid.” The song paints a picture of all the hard work that has paid off for Lucas. With no chorus, it still competes for best song on the album. Apparently unready to release the project, Lucas proceeded to drop five more singles over the next nine months, at least three of which would’ve been better off left for the album.

    Just two days before the release of “ADHD,” Lucas dropped his ninth single, “Will,” along with another viral music video paying homage to Will Smith. With four skits on the album, including voicemails from Chris Tucker and Kevin Hart, Lucas left fans with a total of five new songs out of 18 on the album.

    Fans were given hope, with features from R&B legend, Chris Brown, industry favorite, Young Thug, and veteran-rapper, Fabolous, that “ADHD” would deliver. Unfortunately, out of the five new songs, only the “I Lied” intro track lives up to the hype. Brown and Thug’s features on “Finally” and “The War” are the most memorable moments of the remaining new tracks.

    After two years of waiting, as Tucker points out in his skit, and with how much of the project we had already been teased leading up to the official release, the anticipation for “ADHD” worked to its detriment. Despite Lucas arguably not producing a bad single, anything less than greatness from all of his new efforts on the album would’ve been a letdown. With most of the new content generating nothing to write home about, fans will be disappointed. Those just now discovering Lucas are much more likely to enjoy what “ADHD” has to offer.

  • Gambino Goes Out with a Banger

    Gambino Goes Out with a Banger

    Childish Gambino releases fourth and final album

    The Swiss Army knife of creative minds, Donald Glover, also known by his musical alias Childish Gambino, has returned with his fourth and final studio album, “3.15.20.”

    Glover announced the planned retirement of his Gambino alias at the 2017 Governors Ball Music Festival.

    “I’ll see you for the last Gambino album,” Glover said.

    He later doubled down on the retirement of the Gambino name, announcing on his 2018 This is America Tour that it would be the last Gambino tour.

    Glover, meanwhile, has kept himself extremely busy between musical releases, starring as Lando Calrissian in 2018’s “Solo: A Star Wars Story” and voicing Simba in 2019’s rendition of “The Lion King.” Glover also writes, directs, produces and stars in his own television show, “Atlanta,” which is currently green lit for two more seasons.

    Karen Castañeda, a Humboldt State University environmental studies major, discovered Glover through his show, “Atlanta.”

    “I love him as an actor and I blew through the whole show really fast,” Castañeda said. “He’s super talented and I really support everything he puts out.”

    “3.15.20” saw its official release on March 21, after briefly appearing on donaldgloverpresents.com before it was removed and replaced with a countdown clock.

    The album is peppered with conscious messages that apply now more than ever, in the current pandemic circumstances. The first real song of the album, “Algorhthym,” was unofficially released to fans that attended the This is America Tour in 2018. On the track, Glover addresses brainwashing of humans by social media to make them feel inadequate.

    Particia Pettit-Blair, an HSU psychology major, discovered Glover’s music through friends, and has listened ever since. Despite the unique sounds he creates by layering instruments and combining styles, Pettit-Blair finds Glover’s lyrics to be extremely meaningful and relatable.

    “I like that he kinda takes a different approach to music,” Pettit-Blair said.

    On the previously released “Feels Like Summer,” now titled “42.26,” Glover confronts the climate crisis with a global warming public service announcement.

    Glover reinforces the same message on the track, “Time.” The song sounds like a remix to “Feels Like Summer,” and stresses the obvious truth that “We’re running out of time.” Glover is able to address serious issues without compromising the quality of his music because they come off as organic with the brand he’s built.

    Glover carries his unorthodox approach to the release of “3.15.20” into the album itself. Out of the 12 tracks, 10 on the LP are simply named after their linear location on the album. The project also has two tracks with hidden features, including pop-star Ariana Grande on the song, “Time,” and Grammy-award-winner 21 Savage on the next track, “12.38.”

    On top of a cinematic intro track, each song has its own intro or outro, providing a transition between each one. This gives the album the cinematic experience Glover was after with his 2013 album, “Because the Internet.”

    “3.15.20” is packed with Glover’s versatile singing and the unique sounds he’s developed over the span of his career. He largely leaves rap behind, as he did on “Awaken, My Love” and his “Kauai” EP, with the exception of his distorted verses on the song “Algorhythm” and the highly aggressive flow on the outro track. Glover takes the hardcore fans of his music on a trip down memory lane, incorporating sounds from all of his previous projects into the album.

    Glover brings back the chaotic energy of his debut single, “Bonfire,” on his weirdest song to date, “32.22.” Glover continues to push the boundaries of his audience with the mostly incomprehensible track that can only be described as a war chant. Glover gives fans more deja vu on the track, “19.10,” with a heavy dance vibe resembling Glover’s 2014 single, “Sober,” along with several other tracks from “Kauai.”

    The project with the most influence on “3.15.20” is the most recent and most unique, “Awaken, My Love.” The album’s presence can be felt on multiple tracks, including the heartwarming love song, “24.19,” sung in the same style as his biggest hit, “Redbone.”

    Paired with some of Glover’s most meaningful messages, the experimental sounds Glover has flirted with since he first came on the scene have come together in spectacular fashion for the ultimate payoff on the last Childish Gambino album.

  • Pop-Star Weeknd is Here to Stay

    Pop-Star Weeknd is Here to Stay

    The Weeknd’s fourth album, “After Hours,” has arrived

    The R&B villain, better known as The Weeknd, has returned with his fourth studio album, “After Hours.” In this album, The Weeknd revisits the same themes of drugs, lust and heartbreak found in previous releases, but this time, with a different approach. In the past, his music has come off generally unapologetic, but “After Hours” brings a mix of emotions on his lifestyle.

    After nearly a decade of partying and coming onto the scene in 2011, The Weeknd reveals on track eight, “Faith,” that he’s spent the last year sober. Still battling the urge to return to the fast life, The Weeknd comes to terms with the choices he’s made in “After Hours” and the mental war he’s fighting to avoid making those same mistakes.

    Coming into this project, The Weeknd set the tone by dropping two pop singles at the end of November, claiming the top position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with his lead single, “Heartless.” His follow up, “Blinding Lights,” is currently peaking at number two on the Hot 100 chart in the wake of the album release. He followed up in the second half of February with the title track, “After Hours,” as an unofficial single. The song is slow to build, but is equal parts patience and pop, making it clear that the pop-star style is here to stay.

    “I will always prefer his earlier stuff. It’s just a sound you couldn’t have found anywhere else at the time.”

    Alexa Noperi, HSU film major

    Alexa Noperi is a film major at Humboldt State University, and she hasn’t been happy with The Weeknd’s direction since he dropped “Starboy.”

    “I will always prefer his earlier stuff,” Noperi said. “It’s just a sound you couldn’t have found anywhere else at the time.”

    The Weeknd’s gradual transition to pop music has left some of his day-one fans behind in the darkness of his mixtapes. Made official by his 2016 album “Starboy,” the style shift can be attributed to the success of his biggest single, “Can’t Feel My Face,” along with other pop efforts on “Beauty Behind the Madness,” including “Earned It” and “Angel.”

    When he released his first EP, “My Dear Melancholy,” in 2018, the day-one fans that were left behind were delighted by the return of a dark Weeknd. With his latest release, The Weeknd is likely to disappoint hardcore fans again, as he mostly leaves behind the dark, moody atmosphere of his earlier music to make room for the pop sound that generated so much success with “Starboy.”

    “After Hours” is a rollercoaster of indecisiveness. The Weeknd’s desires constantly clash with one another on his quest for true happiness.

    The album begins with chilly instrumentals that build into their own pop section. The Weeknd flaunts his typical unremorseful attitude, claiming, “It’s too late to save our souls,” on the song “Too Late.”

    “After Hours” is the most consistently solid project The Weeknd has dropped so far.

    Track four, “Scared To Live,” marks the first shift in his approach. He begins to express remorse for his actions, as well as an authentic desire to leave the fast life behind on the stand-out track “Snowchild,” reinforced on the next song, “Escape From LA.”

    Unfortunately, The Weeknd relapses, back to the fast life on his song, “Heartless.” This marks the beginning of the pop-star section that dominated the sound of “Starboy,” this time, with a heavy ’80s electro-dance influence.

    “After Hours” then enters its final section, returning to the slower, chilly instrumentals that opened the album on the “Repeat After Me” interlude. The Weeknd concludes his fourth album, echoing a desire to leave the fast life behind and asking for one last chance at a normal life.

    Though it may be missing the unique, dark sound of The Weeknd’s early music, found on songs like “D.D.” and “The Hills,” as well as the beauty and optimism found on “True Colors” and “I Feel It Coming” from “Starboy,” “After Hours” is the most consistently solid project The Weeknd has dropped so far.

    “It’s not bad background music to try on jeans to. But I don’t think I will be playing it again.”

    Isabelle Eddisford, HSU political science and dance major

    This album marks a growth in his discipline, but also in experimentation. Following the massive success of “Starboy” and the widely-positive reception of “My Dear Melancholy,” the less-than-spectacular “After Hours” might just leave all of his fans a little disappointed.

    Isabelle Eddisford, an HSU student studying political science and dance, felt disappointed that the new songs sounded the same. She described the album as something that would be playing in an Abercrombie and Fitch store.

    “It’s not bad background music to try on jeans to,” Eddisford said. “But I don’t think I will be playing it again.”

    With predicted first-week sales of 400,000 units for “After Hours,” The Weeknd’s continued success in the pop genre may mean the death of his dark times.

  • Stuck Swimming in Circles

    Stuck Swimming in Circles

    Completing and contemplating Mac Miller’s final album

    Mac Miller‘s family and record producer, Jon Brion, released his final album, “Circles,” on Jan. 17. “Circles” completes his previous album, which was under works during his accidental overdose a month after “Swimming” was released in 2018.

    “Circles” goes deeper into his personal life and the struggles he was dealing with. Songs such as the last song, “Once a Day,” hit home. Miller had posted a snippet of the song on his Instagram story the day before his death.

    Jena Schuh, a zoology student at Humboldt State University, said she knew this album was going to be one of, if not the greatest, album Miller worked on when she first started listening.

    Miller’s album goes deeper into the idea that although he was rich and famous, he still dealt with struggles.

    “The style of ‘Circles’ truly portrays who Mac as a person was,” Schuh said. “Even though he had a lot of money and fame, he still went through the daily struggles that a lot of normal people have too.”

    Throughout the album, Miller openly talks about how he was feeling and some of his darker thoughts about the world and himself. He displays vulnerability to himself and is more transparent in “Circles” than any other album he made.

    Miller’s album goes deeper into the idea that although he was rich and famous, he still dealt with struggles. In the song “Circles,” Miller talks about how he’s tried to change, but can’t.

    “He’s just so creative and so unique. I feel like no one could ever guess what Mac would want, you know?”

    Hazel Belair

    This album in particular has a lot of things that people can relate to, such as going around and around in circles in life. In his song, “Blue World,” Miller describes the craziness of the world and the devil being on his doorstep, but carrying on and shining. It’s an album of pain and tribulations, but also triumph. He continues to talk about himself rising up, shining or continuing on.

    This album gave Mac Miller fans mixed emotions. Hazel Belair, a 21-year-old Arcata resident, said she chose to avoid listening to the album because it wasn’t finished by Miller himself.

    “He’s just so creative and so unique,” Belair said. “I feel like no one could ever guess what Mac would want, you know?”

    The family asking Brion to complete the album was an important part of keeping the authenticity. Brion had been working with Miller on not just “Circles,” but also on his last album, “Swimming.” They had been experimenting with different sounds, instruments and lyrics.

    With the amount of time the two spent together, Brion learned a lot about Miller, but particularly about his music style and preferences. After countless hours in the studio with him, Brion picked up on what Miller was looking for in the album and how he wanted it to sound. There isn’t anyone else who could have made this into a more pure Mac Miller album than Brion did.

    HSU geography student Olivia Dorenkamp thought Brion did a great job on the album and brought out new sounds.

    “‘Good News‘ and ‘Woods‘ put me in a state of bliss and remembrance of his past music,” Dorenkamp said. “Overall into a groovy state of mind.”

    Although “Circles” was Mac Miller’s final contribution to the music world, it was one of his most beautiful. He died over a year ago, but his memory continues to live on through his lyrics and the musical creativity that’s portrayed in “Circles” and his other albums.

  • JPEGMAFIA: All My Heroes Are Cornballs

    JPEGMAFIA: All My Heroes Are Cornballs

    JPEGMAFIA’s new album is a demented ride through the rappers mind

    JPEGMAFIA’s third studio album, “All My Heroes are Cornballs,” was released Sept. 14 and it perfectly embodies the production characteristics that define his music.

    JPEGMAFIA is the brainchild of music producer and rapper Barrington Hendricks. Hendricks gained interest in music by learning to sample while he was stationed in Japan with the United States Air Force.

    After being honorably discharged in 2016, Hendricks moved to Baltimore, Maryland and began working on producing his first studio album, “Black Ben Carson.” In 2018, he released his critically acclaimed album, “Veteran,” which was a healthy introduction into Hendricks’ twisted, gritty version of postmodern, experimental hip hop.

    The entirety of the “All My Heroes are Cornballs” album, from production to rapping, was done by Hendricks. Hendricks has yet to stray away from the things that define his music production. The choppy, industrial sounds that seem to harass your senses in the best possible way. The usual hi-hats, claps and kick sounds found in a generic rap beat are replaced with clicks, static and pre-2000s computer sounds which seem to invade your privacy. The framework for the bass and ASMR-like drum patterns are still prevalent, but this is what sets Hendricks apart from other producers in the genre.

    While applying his signature drum patterns, Hendricks adds sounds that have never been used in his beats before. There are softer, inviting motifs connected to every melody behind the drums. They usually consist of a few soft piano keys with audio effects added, a lightly strummed guitar or synths that are reminiscent of ’80s and ’90s video games. The sounds radiate nostalgia, spirituality and a sense of peace which largely contrast the rough, nail-biting sounds of “Veteran.”

    These sounds give a more introspective look into what makes Hendricks who he is rather than the persona he gives off in his music. The downside to the project has to do with the lyrics. He changes the flow of his raps on a regular basis but each time they still fall into a generic pattern. The lyrical content rarely strays away from the subjects of fighting internet haters with guns and being better than other artists. Most of the bars consist of Hendricks yelling one of his coined ad-libs. It’s hard to expect any different from a person who is labeled as an internet warrior with a track record of pissing off the alt-right. The lyrics become redundant and feel recycled from past albums.

    Hendricks ventures more into singing on this project and surprisingly, it is one of the best things about the album. Some of the stand out tracks on this album are “Jesus Forgive Me I Am A Thot,” “Free The Frail,” “Thot Tactics” and ”BasicBitchTearGas.” He harnesses the energies of 90s R&B and it perfectly ties together the crunchy, psychedelic beats to produce one of his most personal projects.

    The production on this album is perfect. The chord progressions, song transitions and signature drum beats are completely on par with the JPEGMAFIA sound. The only thing lacking is lyrical variance, but the singing and melodies make up for it entirely. This can easily be one of the best experimental rap albums of the year.