Yo! It’s time to dive into an overview of a bunch of stuff I’ve been listening to within the past month or so, all of which I’ve not yet gotten a chance to devote individual posts to, reasons ranging from 1) being extremely overwhelmed with other responsibilities, 2) not being too fond of some albums (this only applies to a couple; most of these I actually like a lot), or 3) still not having gotten to particular artists’ older works before properly reviewing a new album quite yet. In short, music reviewers be crazy, ’cause I don’t know how they keep up with all this shit (maybe because it’s their full time job, huh?). Anyway, my plan here is to give a quick roundup of all of the things that have been floating in and out of my listening stream recently, some things more than others. A lot of these albums will get their own separate reviews in the near future, but for right now, we’re just going to scratch the surface.
GREY Area – Little Simz
Honestly such a cool album so far — I’d never listened to Little Simz before, only vaguely recognized her name when I saw people talking about this new album. I figured I’d check it out since it was getting so much hype, and I’ve gotta say that I’ve been playing the hell out of it this past week because wow, this girl is so talented, the production is sick, the lyrics are badass, and I don’t really listen to a lot of big female rappers on the scene (which is a problem I should really fix), so she stands out a lot to me. The game has been changed, and I’m definitely on board with the hype.
Tasmania – Pond
Sadly not too crazy about this release; it did finally prompt me to get to Pond’s last release, The Weather, which I actually enjoyed greatly, as well as Man It Feels Like Space Again, which I enjoyed a bit as well. However, Tasmania doesn’t make nearly as much of an impression on me – the songs don’t hook me in as much and arguably go on for way too long in some cases. Probably won’t return to it too much, but maybe I’ll give it a few more chances.
When I Get Home – Solange
A very mellow and vibe-y listen, with a few songs that bump a little harder and stand out among the rest. I’m not head-over-heels over the work as a whole, and so far I view it as on the same playing field sonically as A Seat At The Table. It does seem a bit more mature and hard-hitting, present empowering lyrics, and takes a few less detours on interludes and such, but is still a laid-back listen that makes it easy to let your mind wander.
Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared? – Deerhunter
Okay. I’ve been loving this album. A lot. And I’ve never listened to Deerhunter before, either. Maybe this was the wrong place to start, but oh well, it happened. There are a few songs that I literally cannot stop going back to, and I was at a point where I’d listen to two specific songs back and forth while walking to each of my classes throughout the day for like a week. This album is beautiful and makes me cry, and now I know that I just need to finally dig into a well-loved band like Deerhunter’s discography.
Hi This Is Flume (Mixtape) – Flume
Yes, the results are in: I am still a hoe for Flume. The high school phase of my electronic-starter-pack obsessed self has never grown apart from my love for the electronica/hip hop crossover genius, and I’m just as into this mixtape as I was hyped over discovering its existence. It’s crazy, fun, disorderly and unpolished, plus… SOPHIE? JPEGMAFIA? He really wanted me to lose my mind on this one, and he succeeded.
Gallipoli – Beirut
This album is very… nice. Like, it is so pleasant. I don’t listen to many other bands that are of this indie folk sound, and I can definitely appreciate it. I have to admit that it did start to lose my attention at some points — being that I’ve never been that big on folk music before and believe it does require a bit more patience — but the sound is most definitely charming and delightful, and lead singer Zach Condon’s voice is unquestionably lovely. I must listen to their older albums, because they’ve been around for a while but I’d never actually heard of them before this release.
SINGLES ON LOOP
Studio Ground Rules, Jason Statham, Pt. 2 – Pivot Gang
Patience – Tame Impala
Jailbreak the Tesla – Injury Reserve (feat. Animé)
Sunflower, Harmony Hall – Vampire Weekend
PLANNING TO GET TO SOON
When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? – Billie Eilish
Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1 – Foals
SOME THOUGHTS ON SOUNDS 
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