Reviews of LPs, EPs or mixtapes.
yeah, it’s 2:45 a.m. and i got bored. a new review for ya’ll to vibe with. if for some reason “fuck you” wasn’t enough of an incentive to pick this album and give it a spin, then let the part of the album that’s actually incredible and timeless. long after you tire of hearing “fuck you” every where you go, the rest of this album will serve you in the 11th hour.
god bless cee-lo green. hit the jump.
-grizzly
anthony obi (fat tony) has been a good friend to weworemasks for quite some time, and during a conversation with him today, we concluded that i was basically an asshole for not having reviewed his debut album. i mean he didn’t say it or anything, but i certainly felt it. that being said, i dedicated a good chunk of my evening listening to his debut LP and writing this review.
if you’re from houston, he’ll be hosting a CD release party at the mink on november 26th, and soon after, will be hosting the second annual black christmas event. BC will also be at the mink on december 17th, so if you’re a local and a fan, do your best to make it out to those shows. in the meantime, hit the jump for the review of fat tony’s LP, and download it while you’re down there.
-grizzly
i was rooting for cudders. i really was. i’m sure many of you know that all three of us here at weworemasks were fans of cudi from the beginning, and all three of us liked the first installment of man on the moon. it’s also no surprise that a lot of his fanbase was unhappy with the release, but that’s neither here nor there. his second album was pushed back several times (originally had a summer release date) and even now, it feels like the album was rushed.
despite being a picky listener (i know, you couldn’t tell), i don’t like writing negative reviews. but for some reason, i had to make an exception for this one. if you don’t feel like readong 450 words, you can check out the short-form version of my review here. granted, i had nothing to do with this video, but i’ve adapted it as such. deal with it.
and the best part about this record is the album cover. hit the jump for the review.
-grizzly
i wasn’t gonna review this record. truth be told, it’s hard not to be partial when it comes to your friends and what not, but i tried my damnedest to be as objective as i could about this record. however, i truly believe this record is phenomenal in every aspect, and my score and review are definitely gonna be reflective of that. if i wasn’t in the know when it came to these guys, i feel like i’d have the same reaction after hearing the record.
that being said, the review’s after the jump.
-grizzly
i know, i know. it’s been a while since we’ve written an album review. however, a late night conversation between panda and myself lead us to this review (and possibly three others, if we follow through). lazerbeak is known as the producer behind hand over fist, the guy who co-produced never better, and pretty much the best producer that doomtree has on their lineup. i was fairly excited when i heard that he was doing a solo effort, but the results couldn’t have been predicted to be this great.
plain and simple, this is a fantastic album that any fan of any genre could appreciate. there’s incredible production on both the hip-hop and indie-rock fronts, and there’s all sorts of experimental goodness that lies within the confines of this 33 minute monster of an album. hit the jump for the review, which i happened to churn out in less time than the album’s run time.
-grizzly
i feel like i’ve seen one too many status updates about how “classic” people believe eminem’s recovery is, and i felt the need to say something. i definitely grew up listening to eminem – especially in middle school. i maintain that his first three studio LPs are among some of the finest releases in hip-hop altogether. with the huge misstep that was relapse, it was easy for any record to succeed and be lauded by many, especially those who felt like relapse left something to desire. while i do feel that recovery is miles better than its predecessor, i still feel like there’s much more that people are looking past, which i hope i shed more light on in my review.
you know where it is.
-grizzly
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love him or hate him, drake’s has an endless line of eyes looking in his direction as he’s finally released his debut record. there’s no doubt that this’ll be a polarizing release. i mean hey, pitchfork loves it and npr hates it – which usually never happens. i personally feel that the whole ‘freshman class’ stigma that he avoided for the past year and some odd months has paid off. through proper channels of some of the biggest co-signs in mainstream hip-hop, drake built a dedicated fanbase out of a bunch of people who couldn’t give less of a shit about some d-list actor from canada. and after a few pushbacks, the records here.
hit the jump for the review.
-grizzly
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nas’ career had its ups and downs. some of his albums are seminal hip-hop classics, and some are overlooked and disregarded all the same. truth be told, there would be slim to no chance that i would’ve given this album a chance if nas’ name wasn’t attached to it. untitled was my AOTY in 2008 (still love it), so it was a given. given the fact that i have no previous dealings with reggae as a whole, please pardon any ignorance of the genre on my behalf.
i enjoyed this album a lot more than i expected to, and i think a lot of you would feel the same way. the review’s under the jump. album’s out in stores now.
-grizzly
janelle monáe is one of the few artists that all three of bears see eye to eye on. from the first time i had heard “sincerely jane,” i knew she’d become a staple in my personal taste. i had little doubts that the archandroid would disappoint, and it’s always nice to have your expectations met. the record is janelle’s debut LP, and will definitely be turning heads in the months to come.
also worth noting is that this is my first review since november’s review of attention: deficit so pardon any rust that’s quilted these fingertips since then. it’s just a real pain in the ass to do album reviews. if all goes according to plan, i should have reflection eternal and distant relatives reviews in the coming week. don’t count on it though.
the album is in stores today, and the review is after the jump.
-grizzly
this is about a week late, but better late than never. wale’s attention deficit is my favorite hip-hop release of the year thus far. i couldn’t be more content with this album’s release – exceeding my expectations for the record is no easy task.
it’s a shame that the record company undershipped the album, but i think more and more people will begin to catch on to his movement. anyway, it’s 3 in the fucking morning and i’m way too tired to write anymore on the info. pick up this album as soon as you see it in a store.
review after the jump.
-grizzly
brand new is one of the few bands that have stuck with me through that whole ‘scene’ explosion of the 2001s and 2002s. they’ve been consistently impressive and months ago, i would’ve sworn on the fact that jesse lacey was like a lurker shadow of mine who was writing my autobiography. 2006′s the devil and god couldn’t have hit me at a more perfect time. that album has since become my favorite brand new record (to the dismay of many, i’m sure).
however, daisy is a disappointment. it’s scatterbrained and lyrically just doesn’t sit with me whatsoever. i had a hard time relating to a good amount of it and after two listens, i was left uninspired and bored with it. after finally deciding to review it, i ended up spinning it about 8 more times in the process, a lot of it began to grow on me. that being said, it still isn’t the brand new album i was waiting 3 years for.
review after the jump.
- grizzly
when you’re leading the pack of hip hop’s next generation, your song remixed and bumped in clubs across the country for going on two years now and have high profile appearances on the albums of hip hop’s royalty (see jay-z and kanye west), ‘highly anticipated’ is an understatement in regards to your debut album.
such are the challenges and high expectations facing kid cudi, who virtually unknown when affiliating himself to the fools gold label, rose to prominence with but a single mixtape to his name. now signed to the infamous GOOD music, all eyes turn to cudi to not only make a name for himself with his unique approach to music, but also as the future of hip hop in its ever evolving form.
review after the jump.
- sunbear
this shouldn’t need an introduction. hype this, hype that. the score isn’t too reflective of my love for jay-z and what he’s done for my personal tastes and hip-hop in general. the man is the true definition of an idol. i’m picking this up today.
hit the jump for the review.
-grizzly
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if any of you remember mine (and jeromes, too) endless hype about 2006′s self-titled album, you’d know that this album was:
a. a long time coming
b. had a ridiculous amount of hype
c. was held up to an unfair standard
this album was hard to digest. when it comes down to it, you have to be in the right mood to listen to it, and that’s not always a good thing. however, with the right ambience and headspace, you will find a stellar release.
hit the jump for the review.
-as tall as grizzlies
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months of anticipation, song after song slowly being leaked, and a tour with manchester orchestra have all culminated with the long-awaited project from nate ruess (the format), andrew dost (anathallo), and jack antonoff (steel train), or collectively: fun. all the musical tendencies from each member’s respective band are in play, most notably the elaborate orchestrations and sparkling melodies of the format’s masterwork dog problems. but rest assured, fun’s aim and ignite is on a wholly different level than any of the bandmembers’ previous work: it’s much more ambitious and grandiose and ultimately utterly disarming.
review after the jump.
- sunbear