ALBUM REVIEW: Button Season by Origami Button

button season? i thought it was spring

Button Season is the debut EP from math rock band Origami Button. I didn't really have any clue to what I was stepping myself into here, as this is their debut EP so there was nothing I could have heard from them before. Overall, I am actually impressed with the quality of the EP. Clocking in at 18 minutes with 5 tracks on the EP, it's a nice bitesize dosage of the band and doesn't outstay its welcome. The rock goes hard and it's pretty good. I wouldn't say it's anything special but the quality is great and I am impressed by the EP. If they release more EPs or an album, I'll probably have to give it a go.

Devil's Score: 7

ALBUM REVIEW: Complaint by Watsky

complaint? i have several.

Complaint is the fifth studio album from American slam poet turned rapper Watsky. I was looking forward to this album and in honesty, it did deliver. Some of the songs were really enjoyable, especially "Mean Ass Drunk" which entertained me a lot. However, for some songs, I noticed a bit of an overreliance on autotune, which can be good but not in the usage of Watsky. I did enjoy "Feels Alright" especially, due to how hard it hits on the chorus. All in all, Complaint is a good album but gets dragged down by the usage of the autotune.

Devil's Score: 7

ALBUM REVIEW: Heard It in a Past Life by Maggie Rogers

fuck it, I'll do some here

Heard It in a Past Life is the debut studio album from American singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers. I enjoyed how it kicked off, it had honestly intrigued me as I was listening to the first couple of songs and I was like "damn this is pretty good." The downfall came when I thought I was maybe 3/4 of the way, maybe near the end of the album and I had only got through half. This means that I did find the album dragging in some areas, making it feel like I've been listening for longer than I should have, seeing as this is a 45-minute album. However, I can't really fault the music. All the songs are pretty good and I enjoyed the album. I also hoped the final song would be a bit more emphatic but it's wishful thinking.

Devil's Score: 7

ALBUM REVIEW: uhhh by Khary

uhhh i don't know what to say

uhhh is the most recent EP from Rhode Island rapper Khary. I haven't listened to him before and if I have to be honest... I wouldn't listen to him again. I did enjoy some parts, for example, the collaborative track "Holy Ghost", but the rest was very meh in comparison. Maybe it was the flow or the beat, but it really wasn't my cup of coffee.

Devil's Score: 5

ALBUM REVIEW: Expectations by Hayley Kiyoko

i had low expectations for this one

Expectations is the debut studio album from American singer-songwriter Hayley Kiyoko. Fun fact, she played Velma in the 2009-10 Scooby-Doo TV films and starred in Lemonade Mouth. Now that's out of the way, what about the album? I was honestly impressed. I saw Hayley Kiyoko live before when she opened for Panic! At The Disco in Houston, Texas (gotta flex that one quickly) and I was unimpressed. Something about it didn't really grab me. Now, this album? HOLY HELL IT'S PRETTY GOOD. It opens and I'm thinking "Woah, is this actually gonna be good?" and as I'm going through, every song is really enjoyable. I have to highlight specifically "Palm Dreams" which I suggest all of you listen to now because it is such a great song and personally the best on the album. All in all, it's a really great album and it has changed my view on Hayley Kiyoko.

Devil's Score: 8

ALBUM REVIEW: Negro Swan by Blood Orange

damn this is fucking smooth

Negro Swan is the fourth studio album from British musician Dev Hynes, better known as Blood Orange. I have to admit that I did have a slight bias that I didn't think this was gonna be that good. Your suggestions can be hit or miss (See: Malibu vs Atrocity Exhibition) but I was wholly surprised by the quality of this album. Blood Orange is an amazing musician and really had me gripped for parts of the album. It was refreshing to be able to listen to something that is usually out of my comfort zone and feel comfortable. There isn't really any part of the album that is a lowlight, bar some intermissions that could be a bit shorter, but I can't really see anything much wrong with this album. Great suggestion all around. Thank you.

Devil's Score: 8

ALBUM REVIEW: Alien Boy EP by Oliver Tree

damn this is good

Alien Boy EP is the debut EP from American vocalist, producer, filmmaker and professional scooter rider Oliver Tree. I believe Quantum suggested one of Tree's songs on the Monday Morning Takeover and I found it quite enjoyable there, so listening to the EP I knew was gonna be fun. The songs were great, a good mix of electronic music and indie that hit the sweet spot. The highlight for me personally is the final single of the album "Upside Down", which had me fucking bopping in my chair. All in all, it's a really good EP and I'd suggest having a listen.

Devil's Score: 8

(EDITOR'S NOTE: This is now a 9)

ALBUM REVIEW: QUAVO HUNCHO by Quavo

quavo!

QUAVO HUNCHO is the debut studio album from American rapper Quavo, who you may know as a member of Migos. His debut album isn't actually as poor as I would have imagined. I do have a slight bias against hip hop, but this one was actually fairly enjoyable. Most of the features were pretty good (I'm excluding Madonna from this selection), and the music was pretty enjoyable. It's not great to me, but I think if you're a rap fan, you'll probably enjoy it a lot.

Devil's Score: 7

ALBUM REVIEW: GUNSHIP by GUNSHIP

a review called DEVIL by DEVIL

GUNSHIP is the debut studio album from British synthwave band GUNSHIP, consisting of Dan Haigh, Alex Westaway and Alex Gingell. GUNSHIP's music is influenced by retro 80s film, TV, video games and cartoons and you can definitely hear the vibe coming through the album. Though I can't detail a specific song from the album that I enjoyed specifically, the entire album was quite entertaining, with a mood that is very unique and at times made me enjoy it more for its interesting style. But ultimately, it is actually a really good synthwave album that you might enjoy.

Devil's Score: 7

ALBUM REVIEW: Be the Cowboy by Mitski

alright devil, positive vibes only

Be the Cowboy is the fifth studio album from Japanese-American indie rock musician Mitski. This album got widespread praise in 2018 from critics, which makes me wonder if I don't actually have a taste for music. Firstly, most things felt a bit off, like the lyrics and the instrumental were just not clicking at all. At times the music was offputting. I will say though, there are some good highlights in this album, and I can see that there is an artist behind the music. But unfortunately, I can't really put too high of a score behind it because I didn't really enjoy it. I would like to reiterate that my scoring is wholly based on my enjoyment of the album and less on the technical aspects such as production and performance. The last time I studied Music was when I was 13 years old.

Devil's Score: 6

ALBUM REVIEW: Make My Bed by King Princess

now i see the buzz around King Princess

Make My Bed is the debut EP from American singer-songwriter King Princess. King Princess recently came second in BBC's Sound of 2019 awards, so I was aware there was some hype behind the artist and rightfully so. Here's why: First off, the eponymous single isn't the most stand out of the EP. It's good but doesn't stand out, especially when it's followed by "Talia", which was a joy to listen to and really sold me at the moment. Other great songs on the EP are "Holy" and her hit single "1950", which is so much fun to sing along with the chorus. Overall, it's an impressive effort by the NYC native, and I am ready to see what they release in 2019.

Devil's Score: 8

ALBUM REVIEW: Ascend by Pogo

i've heard some of this before

Ascend is the 7th studio album from South-African electronic artist Pogo. Pogo is known for taking samples from popular media such as films and TV. For example, in this album, he samples such media as "Winnie The Pooh", "Despicable Me" and "Aladdin". So what's the music like? It's fairly good. Some samples don't work as well as others but the best of the album is extremely good. The instrumentals that are used with the samples are mostly always great and kept me entertained. If you enjoy electronic music with a fun twist, then I'd suggest having a gander at Pogo, but first, check out Ascend.

Devil's Score: 7

ALBUM REVIEW: The Human Condition by Jon Bellion

indie... hip hop?

The Human Condition is the debut studio album from American hip hop artist Jon Bellion. At first, I saw the cover and I was expecting something indie rock, like AJR, but then a bit of hip hop and rap came in and I was confused as hell. It's an interesting mix of genres to merge the art of hip hop into the indie scene, but Bellion did well in his efforts. Although I didn't enjoy all the songs, with some dragging just a bit, the music was good and some songs were enjoyable. The vocals were pretty good and in general, I'd suggest this to people who are adventurous in their music choices. This album may be a bit offputting for the mainstream eye, but there is a shine of beauty to those who are interested.

Devil's Score: 7

ALBUM REVIEW: Tragic Kingdom by No Doubt

ha, the name of the album reviewed it already

Tragic Kingdom is the third studio album from American rock band No Doubt. Fun fact, this album is classed as ska rock. And now I regard ska at a lower standard. Here's why: "Don't Speak" is generally the most famous single from this album and swerves extremely away from the main style of the album. I read up and it was due to a break up that Gwen Stefani changed the style of the song. And if I had to say that was because this was the best song of the album, I probably wouldn't be too far off. The rest of the album is filled with average ska beats and Stefani's distinct voice that sometimes does more harm than good. Overall, there are a couple of good songs, but the rest isn't that great.

Devil's Score: 6

ALBUM REVIEW: Mouth Moods by Neil Cicierega

bustin makes me feel good

Mouth Moods is the third mashup album from American musician and comedian Neil Cicierega. Neil is also known for creating the Potter Puppet Pals. And let me know, if you enjoy clever mashups, you will love this album. Mouth Moods is generally a great comedy album. For example, "Floor Corn" is an amazing example of how two songs with complete opposite moods can be mashed up and create something that is so enjoyable. "Wow Wow" is a version of Will Smith's "Wild West" that I might enjoy more than the original and the finale song titled "Shit" is an absolute classic on mashing up not two, not three but 16 songs into something that feels like a last song of an album (how does Neil get this right but actual artists don't?). And don't get me started on "Bustin", an absolute classic comedy song that I'd write an essay on if I had the time. Mouth Moods is a great album.

Devil's Score: 8