Kwase Lane

Crack Dreams 2, the latest project in Rx Nephew’s endless procession of releases, is a beautiful mishmash of boasts and self-condemnation. If you’re familiar with the New York rapper, you know he has a unique way with words, and if you’ve never heard his work, it doesn’t take long for his inimitable style to register. Rx Nephew’s work is ruled by contradiction. He’ll dedicate several lines to lamenting the tale of Job before irreverently declaring that he wants to “beat the shit out of Eve.” He

No one would have blamed JPEGMAFIA for having a misstep in 2020 after his track record of fantastic albums. The man is due for a flop at this point, but it seems like Peggy is incapable of slipping up. Over the past few months, Peggy has released a slew of singles back to back, and now, he’s stitched them all into a beautiful Frankenstein’s monster of a project. EP! proves that Peggy is a master of his craft. Who else could add a few flourishes to previously released tracks and have it stand as

10, Tricot’s second album of the year, demonstrates an almost unbelievable amount of technical and conceptual refinement compared to their previous projects. Like always, the quartet weaves together complex polyrhythms, gentle melodies and impassioned cries, but 10 is marked by the sense of ease that each piece generates. The album flows from aggressive guitar riffs to mild, barely whispered vocals, all the while being imbued with an intricate serenity that feels unknowable and familiar at the s

After a two-year-long hiatus, Chicago native Noname has finally graced the public with another peek into her headspace. If Telefone was Noname planting a sapling in the field that is the rap game, then Room 25 is the beautiful sequoia that has taken root after years of careful tending. This record demonstrates a quiet reverence for the topics discussed, which her initial mixtape lacked. Her lyrics and magnificent instrumentation project the image of a woman who’s more mature, but is still someho

On his debut solo album, QUAVO HUNCHO, Quavo leaves his compatriots behind in order to prove he is a competent stag artist. However, the Atlanta icon has managed to prove the opposite. Instead of distancing himself from the sound that put his group Migos on the map, Quavo opts to produce a pale imitation of the trio’s sound. Quavo is unable to carry a song by himself, let alone a 19-track album, and it shows. The entire affair serves to highlight the overconfidence of the trap superstar. Only an

On her third studio album, Quiet Signs, Jessica Pratt effortlessly blends tender acoustic guitar and eerily familiar vocals to form a beautiful sonic composition. The project feels as if it was plucked from the 1960s, but Pratt finds a way to infuse this already gentle style with an even deeper delicacy. Her ethereal vocals echo and envelop the listener and provide a serene bed of sound to lie upon. However, if her audience listens closely, they will be rewarded with the timeless knowledge her g

On When I Get Home, the listener finds Solange in a peculiar position. Her fourth studio album, Solange embarks on a new path, one more stripped back than she previously explored on her earlier project, A Seat at the Table. Many of the pieces on this album are carried by their stellar, dreamlike production, but the project occasionally shoots itself in the foot by leaving Solange to fend for herself on less-than-interesting beats. The incorporation of more jazz-like elements is a welcome change,

On their debut album, Nothing Happens, Wallows dyes their colorful, upbeat instrumentation a dark gray with their moody vocals. The project is filled with songs that make for excellent background music, but it rewards close listeners with even more melancholy vibes. Nothing Happens treads the line between depressing and rosy nostalgia, stumbling back and forth at just the right time to keep the listener engaged. Read More: Album Review: Say Anything – Oliver Appropriate “Are You Bored Yet?”, t

JPEGMAFIA is back and better than ever with his third album, All My Heroes Are Cornballs. Peggy takes a more delicate approach to production on this project; however, that doesn’t mean it’s any less bizarre, innovative or aggressive than Veteran. It just does those things in a more apologetic, sorry-I-haven’t-been-to-church-lately way. All My Heroes Are Cornballs is a masterful demonstration of the ways music can unearth emotions you didn’t know you could feel and make you wish you could name to