Cheat Codes is a balm to Gen X hip-hop fans who feel out of step with trap’s spare beats and mumble rap’s hazy flow, proof positive that hip-hop requires a senior circuit.

A thrill ride of a listen, a motley mix of slick bops and searing confessionals that wonderfully encapsulate all of her various vibes.

At 30 tracks and classified as his fourth album, The Last Slimeto feels like an overstuffed, overlong and sometimes-compelling compact disc from the No Limit years.

There are few outright misfortunes on Playboy. One miss is “Havin’ Fun,” which taps into a reggae-pop groove that feels sugary and dated. Then, repetitive placement of hit single “Peru” and its remix. ... Despite these choices, Fireboy’s third album maintains a strong mix of charming songs and engaging storytelling.

It’s a fine wind-down album, one that can be put on shuffle at the end of a long-summer-night bacchanal, when revelers reach that point where they’re too tired to do anything but bask in the glow of the blowout they just threw.

A high-octane dose of emotion cushioned by pleasant, if sometimes a bit anonymous, pop.

Throughout, King Princess’ potent melodies are bolstered by subtle production touches that heighten the anxieties and intricacies of her candid lyrics.

Is this an evolution from Lemonade? Not quite. But with Renaissance, Beyoncé is more relatable than ever, giving listeners all the anthems and sultry slow burners we love and have come to expect from her, proving that inclusivity is the new black.

Expand[s] her folk-based sound, mixing Radiohead-style atmospherics, Seventies pop melodies and even a splash of soul. [Jul - Aug 2022, p.120]

At times, 2000 strains under its ambition. It’s unclear whether Bada$$ wants to build an Important Album or simply release something commensurate with his growing celebrity.

It seems to reflect what the 28-year-old singer-songwriter is most interested in at this very moment, which appears to be a blend of Nineties alt-rock and turn-of-the-century shopping-mall pop. [Jul - Aug 2022, p.117]

It’s the equivalent of a headbanger, and while one could argue her talent deserves a richer canvas, it satisfies all the same.

If only the lyrics were as articulate as the melodies and playing. [Jul - Aug 22, p.120]

It’s empowering to see Trifilio own the full spectrum of her emotions, and it’s what cements Beach Bunny’s latest record as a masterclass in confessional rock and roll.

On the occasions when his slinky guitar takes center stage — like on melancholy instrumental renditions of the Pet Sounds tracks “Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)” and “Caroline, No,” or the first half of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” — the results are predictably serviceable. But Depp’s pro forma, double-tracked vocals provide scant additional justification for the project’s existence; and in a few unfortunate cases (like when he attempts a soul croon on Smokey Robinson’s “Ooo Baby Baby”) you won’t be able to find the skip button fast enough.

Entering Heaven Alive is flush with surprisingly nimble and fluid melodies that remind you of what a song craftsman he can be when he’s not overcooking his music. And some of those tracks—”If I Die Tomorrow” and “A Tree on Fire From Within”—are among the most arresting and least self-conscious songs he’s made in years.

The music on this album is the most unabashedly joyous, sonically diverse, and emotionally profound album put out by a major label since Beyonce’s Lemonade.

Gemini Rights is a 10-song tight collection of rock and R&B, funk and jazz, psych and hip-hop that’s as warm and airy as the cusp of summer, when Geminis are born.

Jack in the Box is brief — its 10 tracks clock in at around 22 minutes — but potent, with J-Hope’s musical curiosity and dexterity on the mic helping create an immersive world that showcases the inner life of someone who’s in a lot of photographs, but who may not always feel fully seen.

At times, it sounds like Kristi has simply moved her rock-historic references up a few years into the later Nineties, when some of the best indie-pop was getting sonically cleaner and more refined. ... All these innovations work and feel natural, and they serve as a nice backdrop for songs that stare down tough emotions while looking for clarity.

The record features five new songs, “Girls,” “Lingo,” and “ICU,” along with pre-released singles “Illusion,” and “Life’s Too Short,” and includes everything one could want from an Aespa record– heavy synth beats, strong piercing vocals, visuals that don’t give you a second to blink.

On Make-Believe’s “Passenger,” Banks laments, “Save me, I’m in my head,” which, as every other Interpol album has proven, has been a recurring issue for Banks. But when he and his bandmates loosen up their songwriting, as on Make-Believe, they sound ready to move forward.

This fire hose of arch-pop cleverness will overload even the sharpest mind. [Jul - Aug 2022, p.120]

So much of Love, Domini’s appeal is due to its spicy elasticity. It, if anything, anticipates a global village of sorts, where the vibrant and eclectic sounds lose none of their authenticity, even as they hop across a couple of continents.

black midi take a serious detour into pretentious overreach here. [Jul - Aug 2022, p.120]

The songs dwell on general themes of loneliness, isolation, despair and connection—which not only avoids concept-album bloat but makes the lyrics more universal and timelier. ... Worth your while. They make Southern-rock and classic-rock history seem present in our time. [Jul - Aug 2022, p.120]

Elegiac bangers that are all about slo-mo self-discovery. [Jul - Aug 2022, p.120]

This incisive, empathetic collection is among her strongest. [Jul - Aug 2022, p.120]