Category: Album and EP Reviews
Vince Staples – Prima Donna EP
There is a rift in the hip-hop community between what some break down into two types of modern rap. The first type is what many see as the overly-saturated, money talking, grandiosely violent and misogynistic “mainstream.” The second type is what hip hop “purists” deem “conscious hip-hop.” Some consider the former to be a cancer to the iconic original genre, but many others refuse to demonize either form. Vince Staples, however, is one of the artists who straddle the line between these two current major leagues, as his last EP “Prima Donna” demonstrates it.
AFFAIRS – Stained Gold EP
AFFAIRS don’t feel nearly ragey enough to have an all caps band name, but power to them for trying to pull it off. The group is a collection of five Englishmen who all met at Hull University, drawn together by a mutual love of 80’s tunes. Their style is self-described as “doom pop”, and while I don’t know if I buy it as a real classification, it fits the band’s creative feel. They just dropped a new EP entitled “Stained Gold”, and I’ve got some pretty strong opinions on the result.
Let’s Eat Grandma – I, Gemini [Transgressive]
Let’s Eat Grandma have accidentally began a revolution to reinvent pop and replace it with their “Psychadelic sludge” sound. Jenny Hollingworth and Rosa Walton are the teenage girls behind the eery music and head turning band name and their musical maturity and eclectic mindsets are staggering. Let’s Eat Grandma’s first album, “I, Gemini”, is intriguing, invigorating and maybe even inspiring.
Small Culture – Small Culture EP
Small Culture has shown up a couple times now on HighClouds, and they’re here again. I recently caught a chance to listen to the project’s self-titled EP, and was thoroughly impressed. Wildly well composed for a freshman EP, the unique blends of sounds, and light upbeat feel make this EP the perfect way to kick off your summer.
Mitski – Puberty 2 [Dead Oceans]
Puberty is not the best period a girl has to go through. Menstruations, acne, embarrassing body changes… By choosing the title “Puberty 2”, Mitski is probably explaining that, once again, she’s living a difficult period of transition. And it’s not easy being a teenager, especially on the social aspect. However, puberty is also a path that leads to maturity. On her fourth album out today via Dead Oceans, Mitski Miyawaki grows up, experiments, and brings new perspectives to the raw emotions that were present in her previous LP “Bury Me at Makeout Creek.” In this new album, she has the chance to relive this transition; she learned what was good and goes even deeper on this new album.
Kristin Kontrol – X-Communicate
Over the last 8 years, Kristin Welchez aka Dee Dee Penny has driven her band Dum Dum Girls to the top with three acclaimed albums, four EPs, and a host of singles through the group offered indie pop gems inspired by 60s and 80s beats. But one year ago, Dee Dee began to feel limited by that musical style and aesthetic which, as she explained to Filler Magazine, was starting to work against her. She had personally evolved and it was normal for her music to do so as well. Her solution? Adios guitars! Goodbye longstanding producers Sune Rose Wagner and Richard Gottehrer! So-long, Dum Dum Girls! Despite some concerns from her label Sub Pop Records, Dee Dee Penny was put to rest and Kristin Kontrol was born. and “X-Communicate” is her debut project under this new identity.
Hinds – Leave Me Alone
In a bit more than a year, a lot of things have changed in the Spanish forest. The band Deers had to become Hinds, because of the threat of a legal action from a band with a similar name, and the herd has been extended from 2 members to 4. What was sounding like a joke, or at least like an exercise without any seriousness, has turned into “Leave Me Alone”, the debut album from one of the most exciting garage band of these last months: Hinds. It is now out via Lucky Number/Mom & Pop.
⚡ Grimes – Art Angels
Two members of the HighClouds team met in order to discuss Grimes‘ new album “Art Angels”, that is out now via 4AD. Here are their thoughts:
Arnaud: Hey Matias, how are you doing?
Matias: I have my mouth full of bio tofu with peanut oil and kale but otherwise, I feel great. Doesn’t it look tasty?
Arnaud: Well, more than you describe it than when I see it flowing along your mouth. But what is important is that is homemade, isn’t it? Like the fourth album of Grimes “Art Angels”, that was released a week ago.
