Album Reviews
Charli XCX’s How I’m Feeling Now Offers Honest Expression for Uncertain Times: Review
The Lowdown: Throughout her musical career, Charli XCX, born Charlotte Aitchison, has occupied both sides of pop stardom — the radio mainstream and the small, sweaty clubs where experimental pop flourishes. Coming onto the scene in 2012 with “I Love It”, Icona Pop’s chart topper, which was written by and featured Aitchison, was quite the breakout, reaching car-commercial levels of unavoidability. Not long after that, Aitchison’s feature on “Fancy”, which she co-wrote with Iggy Azalea, was named Billboard’s song of the summer, and her song “Boom Clap”, featured in teen-favorite The Fault in Our Stars, rivaled “Fancy” for that title. Despite Aitchison’s ability to craft radio hits, her affinity for experimental hyperpop is what makes her a cult-pop icon who continually pushes the genre forwa...
Bad Bunny’s Las Que No Iban a Salir Keeps the Heat Coming with Surprise Outtakes: Review
The Lowdown: Bad Bunny is still doing what he wants on his latest album, Las Que No Iban a Salir (or The Ones That Were Not Going to Come Out), which was a surprise drop last week. The 10-track collection spans outtakes from Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio’s YHLQMDLG album and music that he recorded while in quarantine in Puerto Rico. The Latin trap and reggaetón artist continues his hot streak as today’s premiere perreo pop star. Since dropping YHLQMDLG (Spanish shorthand for I Do Whatever I Want) on Leap Day, Bad Bunny has not only become Latin music’s biggest artist but a global superstar transcending genre or labels. In early March, YHLQMDLG debuted at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, the highest placement for an album primarily recorded in Spanish. That 20-track set remained...
Paradise Lost’s Obsidian Finds the Goth Metal Pioneers as Sharp as Ever: Review
The Lowdown: Paradise Lost innovated goth metal in the late ’80s, and while that style remains has remained popular through the years (see: Type O Negative, Lacuna Coil, more), the pioneering UK act still flies under the mainstream radar in the United States. Part of that has to do with the fact that Paradise Lost has scarcely toured the States for most of their career, although two years ago they embarked on a 30th anniversary headlining tour of North America. The next step on Paradise Lost’s journey is Obsidian, their 16th studio album. While it might not be musically groundbreaking for the veteran metallers, the LP showcases their various strengths in a nearly flawless run of songs just as sharp and polished as the igneous stone for which it’s named. The Good: Obsidian caps off a partic...
Hayley Williams’ Petals for Armor Discovers the Strength in Vulnerability: Review
The Lowdown: Hayley Williams once said on the writing of Paramore’s Brand New Eyes album, “Some of it hurt, some of it was like, ‘Am I being too honest even with myself?’’’ Honesty has long been a trend with Williams’ approach to music-making; she’s been the principal songwriter for Paramore since 2005, and her scathing, dynamic vocals have granted her ever-evolving lyrics the perfect expression of painful, angry, at times heartbroken truth. On Petals for Armor, she dives inward at a new level, using dark pop melodies to not only vocalize her innermost thoughts, but also battle them, untangle them, and reckon with them in a way that feels personal to her own experience. She sings on the blistering “Watch Me While I Bloom”, “You only got one side of me/ Here’s something new/ I’m alive in sp...
