already sounds like a big improvement over the last album (and i liked that as well)

growth

IN

Yves Tumor - Heaven to a Tortured Mind - still needs to sink in on more listens but sounding pretty great

Yaeji - What We Drew - This s***s poppin

Purity Ring - Womb 6/10 - they need to try something different really wasn't feeling this new album

6/10

Was so excited for this after listening to Mains, was so ready for Skepta to deliver verse after verse like that. Sadly, didn't quite reach the same heights after that. Beats were decent, but only standouts were Mains and Mic Check imo. Chip delivered and I thought Adz played his purpose well but I've heard better from Big Smoke.

Overall an interesting concept to do an album as a 3 and I would be interested in hearing something similar, but would want something more solid thematically if they were to try again.
Not sure how many of these songs I will go back to.

very forgettable project imo, but Chip came hard on most songs

Heaven or Hell

Midevil

This might go on to be a top 5 of the year for me.

• Heaven To A Tortured Mind by Yves Tumor: 7/10
• Gang by Headie One & Fred Again: 8/10 (checked this out because of the features and ended up loving the entire EP)
• It Is What It Is by Thundercat: 10/10 (AOTY contender. This morning when I went out for a run, all I was thinking about was this album. I was f***ing missing it. Already obsessed)
  

Cathedral - The Carnival Bizarre - 8.5/10

great stoner metal

Yves Tumor - Heaven to a tortured mind 7/10 (only two listens.)

On it's surface it sounds like the stereotypical Hipster album you get thrown in your face at about every occasion once you are trying to find new music via YouTube but a lot of the songwriting is actually very dynamic and doesn't shy away to drift into some weirder territory here and there, which makes it stand out among other Neo-Soul/Neo-Psychedelia-hybrids. At least that's my initial impression.

Michael Nyman - String Quartet No. 4 7/10

I love Michael Nyman and this might be one of his stronger works. However, I've always felt that some movements here suffer from Nyman's tendency to not fully use melodies to create a larger musical narrative. Therefore, he relies mostly on the themes he establishes and doesn't really manage to make the minimal magic happen in the first few movements. However, it gets really wild after that showcasing very complex and stormy arrangements.

Michael Nyman - Piano Concerto 8/10

This is imo one of his if not strongest work(s). The orchestra actually plays a bigger role in the melodic phrasing here than the piano, which is often used to create a drony and/or vibrant sound. Almost as if the usual functions of Orchestra and Piano are reversed.

It is also one of his most sentimental works reciting plenty more melodramatic themes he already composed earlier but often being countered by a stomping piano or just being arranged more subdued in general. This makes it all in all more powerful and gives it more footing instead of sounding sappy too often.

6/10

Best of: Love is a D***; Bit Of Rain; Hold Me Like Water

7/10

Best of: Medicine Burn; Kerosene!; Strawberry Privilege; Romanticist

Just listened to Vespertine again

empress of only a 6?

It's a highly respectable effort but some parts weren't as great as the standout moments imo

J Balvin - Colores, really simple and fun album

fair enough

I'd give it a solid 7 tho

8.5/10

soundcloud.com/brdwtchr/hollow-daydream

7/10

This is an album full of meditative splendour

Some of the best music I've heard all quarantine. Mixing Wassoulou and strings is such a versatile combination of musical traditions. So happy to find this on Spotify

Best of:Sara; Manian; Kèlè Mandi

7.5/10

liking this more with disc 2 😍😍