Halsey-Hopeless Fountain Kingdom: If you were expecting Halsey to evolve on her second LP Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, you're going to be in for a rude awakening. The unsuccessful attempts to be edgy, over-the-top corny lyrics and erratic songwriting are every bit as prevalent as they were on her 2015 debut LP Badlands. However, if you dive beneath its rough, sometimes obnoxious exterior, there's some really dope songs scattered throughout this record. Tracks like "Eyes Closed", "Alone", "Devil in Me" and "Strangers" are haunting, lushly-produced synthpop anthems that showcase how effective Halsey's misunderstood outsider aesthetic can be when it's executed properly. Despite it's slew of flaws, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom still manages to be a decent enough entry into the rapidly-growing downtempo pop cannon.
3/5 Stars
Standout Tracks: 1.Eyes Closed 2.Devil in Me 3.Alone
Mutoid Man-War Moans It's always refreshing to turn on a heavy record that solely exists to obliterate the listener with pummeling guitar riffs. Few bands fill this underappreciated and underserved niche better than stoner metal/post-hardcore supergroup Mutoid Man. Every single one of the 12 tracks on War Moans is an explosion of beautiful chaos and balls-to-the-wall energy that made me feel like running through every wall in my house. War Moans is a turbo shot of pure adrenaline and without question, one of the most satisfying albums to be released in the first five and a half months of 2017.
4/5 Stars
Standout Tracks: 1.Wreck and Survive 2.Date with the Devil 3.Headrush
Playboi Carti-Playboi Carti: The self-titled debut commercial mixtape from Atlanta's latest breakout hip-hop star (his most recent single "Magnolia" is currently soaring up the Billboard Hot 100) is a stirring testament to how far outstanding production can take you in this genre. Playboi Carti doesn't have much in the way of charisma or mic skills, but the atmospheric yet subtly hard-hitting beats from the likes of Harry Fraud, Southside and newcomer Pi'erre Bourne are so consistently jaw-dropping that this tape manages to remain engaging for the duration of its lean 47-minute runtime. While it sure as hell won't be entering my regular listening rotation, Carti's trap-infused brand of cloud rap is fun enough to throw on whenever you feel like vibing out to some ignorant bars and elite beats.
3/5 Stars
Standout Tracks: 1.Other Shit 2.New Choppa (feat. A$AP Rocky) 3.Magnolia
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