From the Middle of the City to the Top of the World: Five Years of the Weeknd’s ‘House of Balloons’
The Weeknd is one of music's biggest stars thanks to a journey that began five years ago with the release of the incomparable House of Balloons.
Brian Duricy
Lucius: Good Grief
Good Grief contains rewarding singles, but falters as a complete work.
Rome Fortune: Jerome Raheem Fortune
Jerome Raheem Fortune isn't Fool's Gold's best hip-hop release, but it's undeniably its most interesting.
Future: EVOL
EVOL doesn’t stand up to Future's critical peaks, but this could easily be seen as but a release to tide fans over before the next blockbuster.
Roly Porter: Third Law
In the history of electronic music paying homage to our ideas of outer space, Porter has crafted a deserving addition to the canon.
Future: Purple Reign
After one of rap's great runs, Future slows down by returning to the formula of the mixtape that started it all, minus the intangibles.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Season 11, Episode 2 – “Frank Falls Out the Window”
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia doubles down on their delightfully meta, Oulipian 11th season with an episode designed to satisfy the show's long-time fans.
Joan Banoit: Joan Banoit EP
A promising debut from an electro-ambient group with room to grow in their genre.
Rick Ross: Black Market
Black Market sounds like a simulacrum of Ross's critical peak, Rich Forever.
B.B. King and UGK: The Trill Is Gone
On The Trill Is Gone, Amerigo Gazaway surpasses “best mash-up album of the year/decade” talk, and enters in the conversation for one of the year’s best, no qualifiers needed.
Autre Ne Veut: Age of Transparency
The follow-up to Anxiety explores a wider sonic palette, while simultaneously perfecting Arthur Ashin's deeply emotional vocals.
Wavves: V
“I’m just stumbling and I’m looking for a purpose”, Nathan Williams muses. Putting out reliable surf-rock is at least one good answer to the search.