The Roshua Review December 2016 | Page 30

Reviews

A Tribe Called Quest : We Got It From Here ... Thank You For Your Service- Frankly speaking , the album ’ s details are so precise and intricate in terms of production , which is expected from Q-Tip . In my humble opinion however , I feel the samples were too present , so much so that it distracts from the lyricism which is a true shame in this case ; it took my three listens to be able to fully notice all the lyrics . Every single feature was on this album was very much on point , from Elton John , to Andre 3000 ’ s bars ; from Kendrick ’ s 16 to Anderson Paak ’ s accompanying hook , every artist and producer that was featured came with their A-game . Verses from the late Phife Dog were included in select songs , providing a bittersweet element to the album ’ s overall vibe . TP
The Weeknd : Starboy – I don ’ t usually willingly play The Weeknd ’ s music by myself . If I ’ m listening , it ’ s because someone else is and I ’ m in the room . Surprisingly , I really enjoyed Star boy ! This is the kind of music that is good for writing a paper to for it isn ’ t super disturbing . Most of the songs are mellow and calming in my opinion . I appreciate that he didn ’ t try to do too much vocally because I don ’ t particularly like his voice . He kept it nice and simple and I think that also made the album appealing . I do think that the first half of the album is better than the end part , but overall , I enjoyed mostly all the music . FFFF FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFAB
Siya : SIYAvsSiya – Siya provided another strong intro to the list of debut albums I checked out for this issue . SIYAvsSiya is simply her way of coming for these rappers so hard lyrically while also giving us a view of her softer relationship oriented side . In this way , Siya splits the album half and half . As a part of her softer side , she doesn ’ t shy away from singing the hooks to some of her tracks and to be honest her use of autotune , reverb , and delay reminds me of Tory Lanez . In a way , I kind of wish she didn ’ t sing on the album . But at the same time , it fits the theme of the project . The production on every track of the album is undeniably hard with hot basslines and unique samples . Although 16 tracks long , the project feels shorter because the tracks themselves are short . But , this album is cohesive nonetheless .
KW
Post Malone : Stoney – Bruh , Post Malone Finally came out with an album , and it ’ s pretty good . The singing is what I expected , the features are used to the fullest , and the production is amazing . It ’ s obvious that the tone of the album is mellow , and that ’ s displayed on songs like “ Déjà Vu ,” “ White Iverson ,” and “ Cold ,” which is a favorite for me . Some other favs for me are the features . Quavo fits well with the production and flow on “ Congratulations ,” and Kehlani sings her heart out on “ Feel .” But like some previous projects , I ’ ve reviewed the album length affects my opinion . This album is Five Tracks too long , and it takes away from the project . What could have been a 5 in album rating is now a 4 , and that ’ s not because of a song it ’ s because of album length overall . If you like Post Malone ’ s singing and hybrid house production then this is the album for you .
MM