cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/11607458

Brilliant lyricism with better production.

This album is, simply put, incredible. Earl didn't disappoint on any level, his bars are emotional and packed full of meaning. He really is a word-smith. Topics of depression, loneliness, colonialism, and reflections on culture. And he manages to do all this with his signature flows and delivery; I think there's nobody out there right now that sounds quite like Earl Sweatshirt. He's unique, and that's fantastic.

That being said, the production is just on another level. The Alchemist might be the greatest producer right now. If you don't believe that, I beg you to check out this record, because he really knocked it out of the park. He did a bit of everything, more rhythmic beats, more melody, but all of them with incredible, soulful samples.

This album has 2 versions, the original and the streaming version, which have 3 different tracks. Both are very good, but the original version is a bit better. my brother, the wind is way better than Mancala.

Overall, this is a fantastic project that you should definitely check out, if you haven't yet. The lyricism just blows damn near every other album released this year out of the water, and the production is on another plane entirely. What's there not to love? But hey,

what do you think?

Best song: Vin Skully
Worst song: Mancala
Rating: 5/5

Streaming version.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/4326326

This is a pretty cool movie.

The plot is very interesting, and there's tons of tension! Definitely keeps you on your toes as the pressure mounts for the main characters, especially in the undercover scenes. There wasn't really a point where I thought anything in the main storyline didn't make sense; the motivations of the characters are as clear as they should be, and the emotional weight of the story is perfectly translated every time. The immense stress that they're under is very compelling, and the inner struggle of the characters is fantastically depicted.

That being said, I thought some of the side characters and side plots were superfluous, not developed enough, or just straight up didn't make sense. Inspector Lau's fiancé's novel is a bit on the nose, and Yan's relationship with his psychiatrist came out of nowhere.

The acting was pretty good, especially for the two main characters and their respective handles. Some side characters were also pretty cool, I really loved Chapman To in particular.

The cinematography had some highs for sure, but also some lows. There were some shot transitions that looked like someone just pulled up WMM.

Overall, it's a cool film. I decided to watch it because it's highly rated and from Hong Kong. I'd previously watched Chungking Express and In the Mood for Love and absolutely loved them, but Infernal Affairs simply doesn't compare. It's OK, and definitely worth a watch, but it didn't blow me away.

What do you think?

Rating: 3/5

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/2586788

Good music.

This is a nice project. I really like the vocals, Cody's more masculine voice and Juli's very feminine tone mix perfectly, and their harmonies are divine. That being said, individually they're both pretty good singers, though Juli is quite a bit better than Cody. The rhythms are pretty cool too, they mostly sing in a very "traditional" way, very melodic, but they also go for weirder rhythms once in a while, like in the song Muriel's Big Day Off, which I thought was cool. Regardless, they always sing their hearts out.

The lyrics are also pretty interesting. The songs strike me as rather spiritual in nature, even when they don't mention religion or spirituality. They're pretty abstract, which I think is pretty nice and matches well with the ethereal vocals. Some songs tackle themes of hope, continuing despite things not going your way, loneliness... It feels nice to listen to this, at least on that level.

The instrumentals are where this album falls short. There's some passages where they go for something a bit different and it goes great, but there's just a lot of strumming guitars and muted drums basically all the time. It stars to feel like a background hum, and it just gets annoying. I guess it has a sort of lo-fi charm to it? I don't know.

Overall, I think it's a nice album with great vocals, interesting lyrics, and lots of emotion.

What do you think?

Best song: The Great American Picnic
Worst song: Oklahoma Nova Scotia
Rating: 3/5

Listen on YT Music!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/2350702

Insane and interesting production!!

The production really is the crowning jewel of this project. There's quite a bit of variety; some are very melodic, some get pretty loud and distorted. There's a lot of different sounds used in the beats too, reminiscent of those singer-songwriter songs, bedroom pop. There's some very nice vocal chops spliced in, there really is a bit of everything, and it's really nice.

The rapping and singing is great as well. Beenzino himself can pull off some nice flows, but I don't really like most of the features. I must admit that I do not know Korean ~(I~ ~just~ ~translated~ ~the~ ~lyrics)~, so maybe it's actually really awkward, but it sounds good at least. Maybe a bit too much ad-libbing going on though. Still, he sounds very good on every track.

The lyrics are interesting too. The whole album just has this odd melancholic vibe to it. Beenzino talks about desperation, how boring he thinks his life is, and about making it big. He reflects on his past mistakes, particularly at the end of the album when he talks about his addiction and getting a second chance to do things right. There's also a lot about the overwhelming anxiety that comes with trying to make it in the industry, and the pressure that comes with the prospect of failing.

Overall, I'd say this is a nice album, definitely worth checking out. Still, there's a lot that doesn't quite work.

What do you think?

Best song: In Bed/Makgulli
Worst song: Change
Rating: 3/5

Listen on SoundCloud!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/2195729

Iconic for good reason!

It's a bit of an old-school style, which makes sense considering it's a 29 year old project, but I wouldn't even say it sounds particularly dated.

The production is simply put: ICONIC! Very melodic, heavy on keys, and tons of vocal samples as well. Very chill. It's just very pleasant and easy-to-stomach, which actually really contrasts with more recent hip-hop, which can get pretty industrial and loud with it's production. Not Illmatic. I think it's what they call boom bap, but I'm not particularly knowledgeable about genres/styles.

The rapping is also immaculate, of course, it's Nasty Nas after all. He's very technically proficient and pulls out a few different flows, though I must say he goes for a very 1994 style every time. The lyrics don't fall behind either. Plenty of fun and sharp similes every verse; notable exception being the one about being bisexual.

The message is great too. A lot of love for New York and talking about living and growing up in New York, a lot of bragging and talking about his success. He talks of his struggles, but also finds time to brag about his abilities and success.

One thing I will say is that the chorus are usually not very good. They're not horrible or anything, just not as good as everything else.

What do you think?

Best song: N.Y. State of Mind
Worst song: One Love
Rating: 4/5

Listen on YT Music!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/1994067

Visually stunning and a brilliant cast!

The visuals are by far the most striking aspect of this movie. They're absolutely brilliant! I'm sure the black and white color-scheme and the odd aspect ratio play into this, but it's more than that; it's incredible cinematography, and it really helps tell the story and explore the intense emotions of the characters.

More than that, the acting is incredible, especially Frances McDormand, she really blew me away, though Denzel Washington was also fantastic. And Kathryn Hunter as the three witches was absolutely ridiculous, especially that scene where she continuously contorts her body... It really freaked me out, I loved it!

I thought the plot was great, but the pacing was a bit odd. The series of events, and the escalation of the situation felt somewhat rushed and disconnected. I've never read the original play, so I can't say if this is just how Macbeth is or if it's the movie.

What do you think?

Rating: 4/5

Arr 🏴‍☠️!!!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/1894549

Great punk.

This didn't blow me away, but it's certainly good music.

It's intense, with lots of guitars and charismatic vocals. The lyrics also have lots of personality. Some songs have a more introspective tone, while others take more of a critical look at the world and at people, like in the song Big Dick.

Overall, I think this is a rather poignant project, because it's 34 years old and so much of what is criticized in the songs is still very much alive. Some has even gotten worse, like the mass surveillance depicted in The Tower.

I got tired of waiting because I found out there's only a very very fine line between biding one's time and wasting one's time. Do you know what I mean?

• Tired of Waiting

This album is about how fucked things are, the lies everywhere, the injustice that festers everywhere. More than that, it's about patience running out, time running out, and disillusion. It's very emotional, and I like it.

What do you think?

Best song: Tired of Waiting
Worst song: The End of All Things
Rating: 4/5

Listen on YT Music!

I'm reading Kimi wa Houkago Insomnia (Insomniacs After School), and it's so good!

It got an Anime this season too. Have you guys given it a shot? What do you think?

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/1851009

BRILLIANT!

I absolutely loved this!

It can be so loud and overwhelming, the guitars ringing in your ears, the drums and the bass pounding at your skull... But then there's soft melody and peace.

The lyrics are great, each song is a different story written very poetically. These songs aren't written anything like typical pop or hip-hop lyrics, it feels so intimate. Like you're being told a story by the campfire, or just an account of events, except there's blaring guitars. The vocal delivery matches the instrumentals: overwhelming and intense, or quiet spoken-word.

It's hard to put into words exactly how I feel about this album. I think the song Don, Aman is the best example of what makes this album so great. It's like the calm before the storm when you're alone on a rocking boat, that intense feeling of tension, expectation, waiting for things to fall apart when there's nothing there yet. And it's lonely.

What do you think?

Best song: Nosferatu Man
Worst song: Washer
Rating: 5/5

Listen on SoundCloud!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/1738775

Hilarious and action-filled!

Finally managed to watch this movie, and the wait was worth it!

The music is impeccable (as usual), and the comedy is on point. The action is great as well, with tons of thrilling sequences with interesting character designs and well choreographed fights. The environments were also fantastic, with disgusting, slimy scenes everywhere, which really drove home the whole idea of "perfecting" the world being a complete sham.

The plot doesn't leave anything to be desired either. It's interesting and thrilling. The main villain does a fantastic job of being hateable! I thought it was great acting by Chukwudi Iwuji, really outstanding job.

The only thing I didn't like too much was the very notable lack of stakes. Well, obviously there were stakes, but I never got the feeling they could actually fail to get the job done. I never thought that they might actually lose, for once. On one hand, that kinda sucks, on the other hand, it's a comedy-action movie that has great comedy and action. I don't think the lack of tension is a big deal.

What do you think?

Rating: 4/5

Arr 🏴‍☠️!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/1729745

Witty lyricism and biting commentary.

This is a nice album. By far the best part is the lyricism and commentary. Open Mike Eagle is extremely witty and pulls off some great one-liners and very creative and nerdy rhymes on basically every song on this EP. More than that, he manages to also provide great commentary on politics, the economy, and the entertainment industry, as well as his personal struggles with the systems that rule our societies.

That being said, nothing else really stands out on this project. The beats are good, most of the time, but can also fall flat and feel mute. Mike's vocal delivery isn't the best either, his singing is mediocre at best.

I really liked the features though! MC Paul Barman and Milo really nailed it on Trickeration.

What do you think?

Best song: Dark Comedy Late Show
Worst song: Raps for When It's Just You and the Abyss
Rating: 3/5

Listen on SoundCloud!