Quick Reviews - Spring 2017 Part 3

By: The Busted Amp Staff

Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.

Joseph: After the first listen of this album I was somewhat disappointed, and to a certain extent I still am. This album does not reach the revolutionary level that To Pimp a Butterfly  did. However, when you're living in the shadow of quite possibly the best album of this decade, it's a tough act to follow up. Fortunately, though, with repeat listens this album has grown on me and I've come to see its cultural significance fairly quickly. The samples are great through and through, and the King has a lot of important things to say. And there's still no one in the genre that can say it better better than him. Despite it not quite living up to TPAB, this is still the most significant album of the year so far. All hail the King.

Top Tracks: DUCKWORTH., DNA., PRIDE.

9/10

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Gorillaz - Humanz

Joseph: I REALLY wanted to like this album. The concept of Gorillaz is one of the more unique ones in the industry, and after a 7 year hiatus there was a LOT of hype behind this album. Unfortunately, it disappointed....bigly. Despite some decent cameos from some big names, Humanz values quantity over quality, and there's just too much filler here to make the album worthwhile. Some of the filler is just straight-up terrible, and it brings the entire album down with it. Additionally, when the guests do have something worthwhile to say, it's drowned out by some seriously lackluster sampling. Seriously. What the hell was going on in "Momentz?" It's hard for me to find a more disappointing album of 2017 so far.

Top Track: Let Me Out

4/10

Derek: I'll keep this short. This is a jumble of different song ideas loosely held together by lame elevator interludes. The cameos are underwhelming and underutilized, and the music and songwriting is forced and unimaginative. This is by far the worst Gorillaz album to date, and I'm not looking forward to any others if Damon Albarn is just trying to do is impress his daughter.

Top Tracks: Charger, Ascension

3/10

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Mark Lanegan - Gargoyle

Derek: The singer, renown for this gravelly voice and work with the grunge band The Screaming Trees, has captivated listeners for over two decades. His latest installment, Gargoyle, sees him go further into the electronic industrial beats that I was a huge fan of on his 2012 album Blues Funeral. Unfortunately for us, songwriting takes a hit on this one, and the slow-burning, droning songs that were so enjoyable on Blues Funeral easily outlive their purpose here. Lead single "Nocturne" and "Beehive" bring just the right amount of edge, but it's few and far between from there on out.

Top Tracks - Nocturne, Beehive

5.5/10

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Sylvan Esso - What Now

Derek: Bringing their unique brand of minimalist indie pop, Sylvan Esso are back with their sophomore album, What Now. I was underwhelmed with their debut self-titled album, but thought their quirky pop sounds had a niche if they developed it a little further. Unfortunately, What Now is, for the most part, more of the same. In fact, with the exception of the two top tracks listed below, this album is more minimalist than its predecessor, a feat that does not lend itself to an engaging listen. So while Amelia Meath's vocals may be endearing, overall the performances here are boring and lifeless.

Top Tracks - Radio, Die Young

4.5/10

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Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell Live

Derek: The live version of the beautiful album of the same name from 2015, Sufjan Stevens proves that the emotions so wonderfully communicated on the album version can be even further expanded upon in a live setting. Explosions of instrumentation and building swells of sound juxtaposed with soft acoustic guitar and Stevens' signature whispered vocals. The listener can tell the great care that was put into each song compositionally, and I wish I had the opportunity to see him on this tour. For those that saw these performance, I'm sure it was an unforgettable experience.

Top Tracks - Death with Dignity, Should Have Known Better, John My Beloved

​8/10

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Willie Nelson - God's Problem Child​

Joseph: One of the most iconic figures in modern music, Willie Nelson returns with his 61st (!) studio album in God's Problem Child. It's chalked full of solid country tracks that his fans will love but probably won't convert any new fans in the process. It's hard to be innovative after 61 studio albums, so at this point this album can be chalked up as Willie being Willie. And it's safe to say that his fan base won't have any problem with that.

Top Track: God's Problem Child

6/10

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