FKA Twigs, Cordae, and Bonobo Dominate New Music Friday This Week – Album Reviews (Jan 14, 2022)

It was the first busy week of new releases of 2022, and aside from a few disappointing moments, the overall week of January 14th will inevitably be one of the strongest of the year. FKA Twigs, Bonobo, and Maryland rapper Cordae all found high-placing releases in this week’s round-up, while a few others, including UK indie rockers The Wombats and folk-pop radio hit makers The Lumineers were didn’t quite hit the mark.

Watch the new segment below from our YouTube channel, or read through the episode just past.

Cordae – From A Bird’s Eye View

Maryland rapper Cordae is back with an album that dodges the sophomore slump like a champion. His new album From A Bird’s Eye View is a complex and somewhat conceptual album that bridges old school and new school – not just in sound, but in features: Lil Wayne, Stevie Wonder, Eminem, Freddie Gibbs, and then you’ve got Lil Durk, Gunna, and H.E.R. to balance it out. His narrative driven rhymes, and soulful production choices make for a wicked release from the next gen of hip-hop. You can hear that he grew up on Nas and Dr Dre, it’s fantastic. If his 2019 debut The Lost Boy didn’t win you over, From A Bird’s Eye View certainly will.

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9/10

Baynk – Adolescence

New Zealand’s Jock Newell-Usticke has been releasing singles and EPs as Baynk for a few years now, delivering moody and euphoric dance music to the masses. He felt that 2022 was a better time than ever to drop his debut full-length, Adolescence. Featuring a handful of collaborators, the tracklist feels diverse yet cohesive, exploring the different subtleties that dance music can fluctuate towards. Not only is most of the album super catchy, but it’s dripping with texture and movement, making for a stand-out production achievement.

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8/10

The Wombats – Fix Yourself, Not the World

There were a lot of mixed feelings circling the new Wombats album, and I can empathize with fellow long-time fans’ disappointment with the release. Fix Yourself, Not the World, the band’s fifth album is one of their most forgettable releases. It’s definitely a bit of a separating album from their earlier work – and hey, growth is allowed. They’ve kept elements of that guitar-pop, catchy-Brit rock that made them so big on a few songs, but I think what drags down the album, ironically, is their maturity and lack of melancholy – aside from the song “Everything I Love Is Going to Die”. They intentionally wanted to explore new styles, but the result is a bit messy and chaotic. There are still earworm singles and glossy indie pop production to tie you over, but it just doesn’t hit like it used to. Honestly, I wouldn’t really recommend this album to anyone – longtime fans or newcomers. Just something you’d check out out of curiosity.

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5.5/10

Underoath – Voyeurist

Comfortably into their second decade as a band, Underoath are continuing to stick to their hardcore guns on their ninth studio album Voyeurist. It’s crazy to think that their earliest stuff fell into the category of Christian metal. Band member changes galore have happened over the years, but a few of the almost original members – basically from 2002 onwards – have been carrying the torch, seeing the group blending together emo, metalcore, to hardcore, to deathcore, to industrial. At this point in their career, it’s hard to compare records – they all have their moments and strengths and differences, and Voyeurist fits comfortably in that description. It feels unique to Underoath, but still an individual collection that is more of a timestamp in their discography than a comparable release to something from their past. A nice mix of screaming and clean vocals, rich, electronicore production, and ferocious riffs and breakdowns – which they deliver, and then some. Wicked release, happy to mosh around in my room to this one.

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7.5/10

Earl Sweatshirt – SICK!

This feels more of a mixtape than an album, but nevertheless, Earl Sweatshirt delivers a flawless new record Sick! It was written as a COVID/lockdown album, touching on ideas of life, death, restlessness, loss, all of that. But while the pandemic fatigue has made its way into music as well, Earl Sweatshirt’s flow and penmanship makes up for it, not to mention the soulful, lo-fi production that oozes into your ears for twenty minutes.

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8.5/10

The Lumineers – Brightside

The Lumineers are back with their optimistic fourth album Brightside. At this point in the chart-topping band’s career, we know what we’re getting. There hasn’t been much variance in their sound over the years – but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, amirite?

But in that same breath, Brightside, while filled with their trademark rustic, warm, folk pop, comes across a bit monotone and uninspiring, despite their lyrical efforts. The one thing I admire about the internationally acclaimed band is that they do make an effort to keep things feeling organic and humble, which comes through their jangling piano and rootsy instrumentation. And it’s most impactful on some of the slower tracks that let frontman Wesley Schultz share his iconic voice at a very intimate level.

Maybe this might feel like a stronger release if you have an emotional attachment to The Lumineers, but for the regular passerbys like myself, it just didn’t feel like a record that’s going to be making any end of the year lists.

LISTEN

6.5/10

Chastity – Suffer Summer

The suburban outskirts, of the outskirts of the GTA can be compared to the American midwest considering it inspired it’s own gritty, emo-laden style of indie rock. Chastity, who hails from Whitby, Ontario is one such artist, and on his third full-length album Suffer Summer, he’s really refined his suburban emo sound. The one man band fronted by Brandon Williams combines ‘90s emo with a more current commentary on feeling stranded, isolated, and lost in an exponentially changing world – like the lovechild of PUP and Jimmy Eat World. Not to mention his melancholic and distorted songwriting style makes for a spine-vibrating combination. You just can’t help but feel both empathetic and energized when Williams sings.

It’s not just a sad millennial album – it’s a sad millennial album that slaps.

LISTEN

8.5/10

Bonobo – Fragments

The track list of electronic producer Bonobo’s seventh album Fragments started out as clusters of ideas and pieces, born following two years of touring. Eventually, a trip through the California desert and the experimentation with his new analog synthesizer, and some studio collaborations brought together these “fragments” to form what would become one of his strongest efforts to date. Refreshing and stunning soundscapes, filled with lush textures, and subtle melodies are at the foundation of the dynamic 12-track effort. Just under an hour, it’s a beefy, yet consistent record that splashes in a few vocal features to flesh out the stimulating release. It’s equal parts psychedelic, cinematic, and emotive, and never loses itself in one repetitive motion on any track, something that often gets left behind in the genre.

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8.5/10

FKA Twigs – Caprisongs

FKA Twigs announced her new mixtape Caprisongs just last week, making it somewhat of a surprise to the music world. Written during isolation, the new project was inspired by conversations with friends, some of which make their way onto the record. Because of that homegrown and organic approach, there’s a refreshing freedom and honesty, as well as a spiritual aspect to the record that gives the album a more approachable placement in her discography, while still holding onto her unpredictable and art-driven style. And speaking of friends, a handful of noteworthy features line the track list, including Pa Salieu, The Weeknd, Shygirl, and Daniel Caesar, giving it a more star-studded edge.

FKA Twigs’ iconic pixie-dust vocals contrast wonderfully with the dense bass and choppy production – so if the genre-jumping hooks don’t draw you in, the auditory experience surely will.

LISTEN

9/10