Category Archives: Music & Playlists

Album Review: Blonde by Frank Ocean

Posted on by
1

With the eighth anniversary passing and the anticipation for new music, I thought diving into Frank Ocean’s last album would be a good idea. Blonde is the 2nd album from the R&B revolutionary, Frank Ocean. Apple Music ranked this album as number 5 on their list of “The Greatest Albums of All Time”. Blonde is a unique album experience with several interludes with a few that do not have any singing just a clip of someone talking (“Facebook Story” and “Be Yourself”). In terms of critical reception, Blonde is one of the most praised albums to come out last decade. Here are some of the highlight tracks:

Ivy

In this song, Frank reflects on a teenage relationship. While the relationship did not work out, neither one of them could truly have negative feelings about the other. The production incorporated guitar and piano in a melancholic style ballad. His vocals also express a kind of sadness and frustration.

Solo

The production is very similar to that of “Bad Religion” a song from his debut album Channel Orange. Heavy, drawn-out keyboard notes. The lyrics include a homophone. “So low” and “solo. Frank describes him feeling alone as solo and how the loneliness has left him in a depressive state (so low).

Nights

Instrumental the song has 2 parts. The first part is very guitar-heavy. The second half turns into a slower trap-style beat. The lyrics depict a night party lifestyle. In which a person spends the day fixing all the mistakes in the night.

White Ferrari 

The production is very minimalist. It almost sounds as if it is raining in the background adding to the sad themes of the song. The story is about the loss of Frank Ocean’s brother. The 4th verse is sung with a filter on his voice making it seem even sadder. The lyrics explain how they are both sorry but he will always care for him.

Overall I would give this album a 9/10. I have listened to it several times and I am still discovering sound effects I had yet to hear previously. I recommend this album to people who like listening to the entire album experience or are fans of R&B.

Blond by Frank Ocean is available to stream on Freegal.

Album Review: Born to Die

Posted on by
1

Born to Die by Lana Del Rey was the 5th best selling album of 2012. Released soon after the success of her debut single “Video Games,” Lana’s old Americana aesthetic, emotional vocals, and descriptive songwriting, captured the world’s attention in the album Born to Die. With just 12 songs, she was able to set herself apart from the more positive artists that were trending like Katy Perry, who dominated early 2010’s music. This is most likely why is considered to be indie or alternative despite making pop songs. Here are some of the standout tracks:

Video Games: The song that catapulted Lana del Rey into the mainstream, “Video Games” is a somber pop ballad that describes the archetype of her lover ignoring her to play video games. But instead of leaving him, she decides to keep trying to get his attention. The production is slow and sad, yet hopeful.

Radio: One of Lana’s most commercially successful songs. Lana recalls how after she became famous everyone started praising her, even those who doubted her before. She sings about how her life is “sweet like cinnamon.” This has a typical pop song structure however the production sounds a bit more unique and melancholic.

Dark Paradise: This is another example of Lana’s melancholic style. In “Dark Paradise,” she sings about a lover who passed away. He haunted her dreams and she fears they will not see each other in heaven. She also questions how she is to move on until they see each other again.

Summertime Sadness: This is inspired by Lana’s love for California summers. She sings about enjoying her life and the summer ending is bittersweet because of all the fun times she had. She says “If I go I’ll die happy tonight.” This perfectly describes how the summers satisfied all the experiences she wanted in life.

Lana del Rey is one of the most influential pop artists of all time. Her style has influenced Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, and Madison Beer, all young up and coming female artists. She is proof doing something different from what is trending will make you timeless. I hope you love this album as much as I did.

Album Review: Melodrama

Posted on by
Reply

Melodrama is the second album from New Zealand singer-songwriter, Lorde. This came four years after her debut studio album, Pure Heroine. Melodrama has 11 songs that tackle different emotions, relationships, and friendships. Her unique style of lyricism has become very influential to new artists like Olivia Rodrigo. I love Melodrama because of the interesting production and lyrics. 

Here are some of the highlights on this album:

Green Light

The biggest hit and lead single to the album. Lorde describes a situation, in which she has just left a relationship but cannot “let go.” She tells the listener she is waiting for the green light to move on. The production is nothing exciting until Lorde starts chanting in the background towards the end of the song.

Sober

Lorde describes a relationship with her lover where she wonders if alcohol is the thing that gives them chemistry. While the topic seems cliche, Lorde’s lyricism shines through as she describes them as “King and Queen of the Weekend.” In terms of production, triumphant trumpet sounds add to the royalty line. 

Liability

This was the song that introduced me to the album. I heard Olivia Rodrigo say she loved this song and wished she had written it. Lorde sings over a piano ballad instrumental as she describes herself as a liability to other people and “a little much for everyone.” In terms of self-reflective pop songs, it is one of the best I have heard. 

Supercut

Easily my most-played song on the album. The production was quite good for a pop song and I found it very catchy. It was produced by multi-Grammy award winner and Taylor Swift’s main producer, Jack Antonoff, who I also love with Lana del Rey. The lyrics describe looking back on a relationship and only seeing the best parts of it.

Perfect Places

The closing track perfectly encapsulates the theme of the album. Lorde describes the stereotypical party life of a young adult. She describes doing these immature things to find “perfect places.” But to finish she asks what are perfect places because it turns out that life was not as promising as it seemed.

Overall this is one of my favorite pop albums and definitely worth a listen if you like Olivia Rodrigo. While Lorde has won several Grammys, I do not see many people listening to her. But Melodrama is a phenomenal album.

P1Harmony Music Review

Posted on by
Reply

I wanted to discuss the K-pop boy group, P1Harmony, and their newest album Killin’ It released in February 2024, as well as them as a group! P1Harmony is a boy band consisting of six members, Keeho, Theo, Jiung, Intak, Soul, and Jongseob. Their music is a mix of hip-hop and R&B which is both lively and calm depending on the songs.

In their most recent album, their title track, “Killin’ It,” is fun and upbeat. The rapping parts in this song are so prominent and truly make the song lively and fun to listen to. Their other song, “Late Night Calls,” is on the calmer side, relating more towards R&B. I would say this is my favorite song in the entire album, as its meaning is sweet and the melody is mellow and is perfect for a night drive. Lastly, I like “Countdown to Love” as it is also upbeat and uplifting. I listened to this song while studying for my AP United States History exam that I actually took today, May 10th. The beat is so much fun and really wakes me up! Overall, the album is one of their best, and I’m looking forward to seeing them on June 16th when they come to LA!

I also love watching them perform as well as viewing their content as they are very down-to-earth people who are close to me in terms of age. I find it easy to relate to them and fun to watch as most of them are fluent in English! Although I understand and speak Korean, it’s always exciting to see K-pop idols learn and speak English, especially Keeho who is from Canada and speaks fluently. I personally like Jiung the most, as he quiet and more reserved. He is also known to be smart and more logical which I relate to the most. Keeho and Theo are also fun to watch as I find them funny and they never fail to make me laugh. Ultimately, P1Harmony is such a talented and exciting group to listen to and watch, and I would recommend their music to anyone who is willing to give K-pop a listen!

Kaiya T.

Band Review: Coldplay

Posted on by
Reply

I have another artist I would like to share with everyone, except this time you’ve probably heard of them! This band is Coldplay!

Coldplay is a British alt rock/pop rock band formed in 1997. They released their first album, Parachutes, in 2000. Parachutes, in my opinion, is their best album to date. It has one of their more well-known songs, Yellow, but also what I consider to be their best songs, like Shiver, Spies, High Speed, and Don’t Panic. I feel like it’s their most unique album and they sort of fell into more poppy music down the line. I really like the feel of the album all the way through, it’s a very chill album and it makes you feel like you’re just aimlessly drifting.

Their second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head,  was released two years later and is my second favorite album by them. This album also has two pretty popular songs by them, Clocks and The Scientist. I like A Rush of Blood to the Head because of its unique instrumentals. This album is noticeably less calm and a little sadder, or at least melancholic, shown with songs like Politik, The Scientist, and Warning Sign.

I’d like to skip forward to their 6th album, A Head Full of Dreams, released in 2015. A Head Full of Dreams is much more of a pop rock album than an alt rock album. This one has a few popular songs like Hymn for the Weekend and Adventure of a Lifetime, which I would actually agree are the best songs on this album. A lot of the other songs are pretty forgettable, but I don’t hate them. The two songs make me feel like I’m flying through some sort of city or some big spectacular scene, and I think it’s really neat how they were able to write music like that that.

Skipping forward again to their 8th and most recent album released in 2021, Music Of The Spheres. Each song from this album is meant to represent a song from each planet in this theoretical solar system, but all of them are pretty poppy. A good portion of them are collaborations with other artists, such as Selena Gomez (in Let Somebody Go) and BTS (in My Universe). I like the idea behind this album, but I feel like it was executed poorly and I don’t really like any of the songs. However, there is one song on this album that breaks that rule: Coloratura. Coloratura is a 10 minute masterpiece that I feel perfectly ends the story they were trying to tell. I would highly recommend skipping the album and just listening to that song.

In conclusion, Coldplay is a talented band that sort of fell off, but their older songs are still very good and worth a listen. That’s not to say all of their newer songs are bad, as there’s still some pretty great ones.

The Maybe Man Album Review

Posted on by
Reply

The Maybe Man is the fifth album written by AJR. Let me just say that AJR is my favorite band and that I definitely recommend them. 

A bit of background information about AJR. AJR is an American indie pop band. The members are Adam, Ryan and Jack Met, a trio of brothers from New York. The trio actually write all of their own songs. They first gained popularity in 2015 with their single I’m Ready when an Australian singer liked the song. Sense then, they have released 5 albums:

  • Living Room
  • The Click
  • Neotheatre
  • OK Orchestra

and the reason I am writing this

  • The Maybe Man

Now, let’s review this amazing album.

Track One, The Maybe Man: This song is an overview of the entire album. The lyrics all directly relate to the following songs, which is super interesting because you have to match each lyric to the songs. The song is all about a man who wants to be something else. I like this song because it builds up the entire time until the end where the song gets really party-ish.

“I wish that my brain would triple in size- I’d nail ever joke, I’d win every fight- But I’d get too deep with that kind of mind- I don’t wanna know the point of life”

Track Two, Touchy Feely Fool: This was the song I was most excited about when I heard they were making a new album. It definitely lived up to what I wanted it to be. The lyrics are incredibly catchy and the beat will get stuck in your head all day long. This song is about a man who can’t get out of a toxic relationship. 

“I’m screwed- But, hey, what can you do?- I’m a touchy feely fool- I would give anything to not give a ****- About you (you)- Life is pretty cruel- For a touchy feely fool- I would give anything to not give a ****, but I do”

Track Three, Yes I’m A Mess: At first I loved this song, don’t get me wrong, I still like it, but I have heard it WAY too many times. These lyrics and beats get stuck in your head for days on end. It’s all about a dude who definitely needs a therapist, he’s running away and going kinda crazy. This song also has a really good music video.

 “Cheers to the front and cheers to the back- And cheers to the 2010s (literally the year I was born, guess they know their audience)- I could hate my guts when the sun comes up- But I like myself like this- I like myself like this”

Track Four, The Dumb Song: This is a pretty good song. I think that compared to the other songs on the album, this one is a bit covered up. Not a bad song, it’s message is unique. It’s all about how the singer (our Maybe Man) isn’t very smart so whatever happens isn’t his fault.

“You said with certainty- I may be the dumbest person that you’ve ever seen- You think you’re hurting me- Bet you won’t believe it, but you kinda set me free”

Track Five, Inertia: One of the most popular songs in the album, Inertia is one of my favorites. It’s a very… different song. AJR experiments with different voices and tunes. I know that this song is special, but once you like it, you LOVE it. It’s actually some of my friends’ favorite song. It’s all about different forms of inertia, but depending on your science class, It can really help you remember one of the forces exerted on planets by the Sun.

“I wanna be big like my plans-So why am I so tiny, and why am I so mad?-It’s inertia, guess this is just what I am- I’m stuck in this life, and I’m stuck in these pants”

Track Six, Turning Out Pt. iii: To be honest, this song is lower on my list of songs. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good song. It’s just more emotional and slow. So far, AJR has written 3 Turning Out songs and I think this is the last one. It centers on our Maybe Man’s love life, but was actually written by Ryan Met.

“Love isnt big, kid-  It’s little and quiet- Let’s do today- I think you’ll turn out to like it”

Track Seven, Hole in the Bottom of My Brain: I was excited for this song for two reasons. One; I thought the title was super interesting and for some reason I imagined gunshots???? And two; It was the only non-explicit song on the album, which, added to my imagined gunshot wounds, made me super intrigued in this song. The song itself was super cool because it built up every lyric until the end. It’s kinda about things building up.

“There’s a hole in the bottom of my brain- When I spend money, the hole goes away- If I could finally get clothes that are fancily sewn- I could finally be ready for fame”

Track Eight, The DJ is Crying for Help: Not one of my favorite songs on the album, this song is more mainstream than the others. I don’t have much to say about this song. It’s just, bleh. It’s about our Maybe Man and how he has to grow up and doesn’t know what to do now.

“Hey now , hold up, we were fun as hell- I’m all grown up but you couldn’t tell- Now I don’t know what to do with myself- The DJ is cryin’ for help”

Track Nine, I Won’t: My least favorite song, I Won’t is more mainstream then the previous. I don’t know, this song has a pretty funny YouTube short. It’s about not wanting to do things, about not giving in to peer pressure and doing what YOU want.

“I don’t got a body like I see in the press- So I got to the precipice of pressing my chest- And now I look impressive with a couple of pecs- Just like my friends”

Track Ten, Steve’s Going to London: AWESOME SONG!!!! It’s so good. AJR originally wrote this song so they had at least one not super meaningful heavy song in the album. Honestly, that’s what this song is. It’s super lightweight compared to the rest of the songs. This song is super fun because when you listen to it, it’s like two different songs mushed into one. There actually is no real meaning to this song, so enjoy!

“ Well, you try to find some meaning in your life before you’re gone (ooh)- There’s a song that don’t mean anything at all (ooh)- And it sounds like”

Track Eleven, God is Really Real: Saddest. Song. Ever. They wrote this song when their dad got sick. He did unfortunately die, which is really awful. I love (can you love a song this sad?) this song. There’s really not much I can say about this song, except, bring tissues.

“I’ll sing it for you, dad- When you get out of bed- I’ll sing it for you when you’re out of bed”

Track Twelve, 2085: LAST SONG!!!!!!! This is the longest song written by AJR at 5 minutes and 31 seconds. It’s the end of the album, so it wraps up the entire album with a pretty little ribbon. Love the song, it’s all about the end of the Maybe Man’s life and his regrets and achievements.

“I wish I was me- Whoever that is- I could just be- And not give a ****- Hey I’ll be whatever makes you a fan- Cause I don’t know who the he** I am”

Overall, this is a beautiful album that I took way too much time writing about. I hope you enjoy The Maybe Man by AJR.

Album Review: The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess

Posted on by
1

Chappell Roan’s debut album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” released in September 2023, has hit the music industry like a truck. She shows immense range on the album, from loud, upbeat songs such as “HOT TO GO!” and “Femininomenon” to slower, more emotional ones like “Kaleidoscope” and “California.” Coming into the industry with little to no experience as a big-time musical artist, Roan faced backlash through critics calling her music too explicit and sensual, while others claimed that she acted “too famous” even though she only had one album out. However, this was ignored by the singer, who gained immediate popularity on platforms like TikTok, which trended her songs “Good Luck, Babe!” and “Pink Pony Club” for months straight. With her background now established, let’s look at each individual song and how they come together on the album.

Femininomenon:

With a slow opening and catchy chorus, this track immediately captured my attention and became one of the ones I enjoy the most. It’s upbeat, different, and there are spoken parts of the song that serve to introduce the character of Chappell Roan to the listener. While it’s not the best song on the album due to it being more surface level and fun, it definitely hooked me and made me want to listen to more.

Red Wine Supernova:

This track is arguably one of the best on the album, with interesting chord changes, captivating lyrics, and a storyline throughout the entire song. It follows Roan’s story of her identity and feeling like she would be able to sacrifice parts of her character and personality in order to keep the unnamed second character close to her. With a catchy spoken bridge, the song comes together to be a fun, colorful track that is basically unskippable.

After Midnight:

To me, this song doesn’t stand out on the album. It has a nice melody, a musically pleasing composition, and the lyrics are fine, but there is no specific part that makes you want to loop it or listen to it a second or third time. I don’t skip this song, but I feel tempted to about halfway through.

Coffee:

“Coffee” is another one of the songs on the album that I don’t listen to as much, but I do enjoy the chorus and the lyrics, once again following a story of Roan as she tries to avoid someone from her past while still keeping a friendly relationship with them. The lyrics are interesting and the music is slower than what has already been shown on the album, which I really enjoyed my first few times listening to it, but it got a bit repetitive the more I did.

Casual:

I would argue that this is, again, one of the best tracks on the album. It rose to extreme popularity on TikTok, with bits of the chorus being used for trends. It follows the story of a casual relationship that Roan has had in the past where she feels like a secret and as though the partner in question is ashamed of her, making a statement through explicitly detailing their actions and asking the question “Is it casual now?” I would put this song higher on my ranking than some others, although it is not the best song on the album.

Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl:

This song is an upbeat, fun, “night out on the town” type of track, with a spoken introduction and lyrics that emphasize her want to be with someone similar to herself. It’s incredibly similar to some of the pop/club music of the early 2000s, and it made me nostalgic for the sound of my childhood. Again, this song isn’t very loop-able unless you were getting ready to go out or preparing for a high energy event, but it’s a good song and breaks the notion that the album is mostly serious or storytelling songs.

HOT TO GO!:

One of her most popular songs, with it even having its own dance performed at live concerts, “HOT TO GO!” is a catchy, upbeat song about not having a direction to go in your 20s and choosing to go everywhere. Roan sings about dancing, relationships, and her life choices while speaking to an unnamed person, comparing herself to a coffee order as she says she can be taken “hot to go”. I thought it was a very fun song, although I don’t particularly want to listen to it again and again.

My Kink is Karma:

Roan immediately switches the tone of her music in this transition, telling a story about her most hated ex, who she wishes nothing but karma and suffering on. While dramatic, it’s a relatable song that encompasses what it feels like to hate an ex partner and want nothing but the worst for them. I thought the song was fun, starting off slow and adding in a techno beat halfway through the chorus. I wouldn’t put it in my top five, but I do enjoy listening to it on repeat.

Picture You:

This song is slower, more about yearning and the want to be in a relationship with someone who is her friend than a storytelling track. I would put this as my favorite on the album just because of how different it is, at least at this point in the album, from everything else we’ve heard. It’s a slow, quiet song with Roan using her lower register for majority of it, something she doesn’t do very often. I love this song and would recommend this one for anyone trying to get into Chappell Roan’s music for the first time, as it offers a gateway into her patented sound without getting too wild.

Kaleidoscope:

Staying on theme with the slower songs, “Kaleidoscope” is about an ex that she parted amicably from. It’s written in second person, with “you” not being named. This one is higher, slower, and much more sad than anything on the album up until this point, showing the range in her music. I love this song, but it does tend to make me feel sad and nostalgic, which is why I don’t often loop it or listen to it more than a few times in one sitting.

Pink Pony Club:

I love this song. It starts out slow, keeping the same deep, hearty sound the entire time even as she shifts her voice to go higher and higher. I think this is my second favorite on the album, and I listen to it for hours at a time when I’m working or going about my day. I would recommend this song to anyone wanting to get into her music as well, as it shows more of her upbeat, catchy music than “Picture You” does while still having that Chappell Roan sound that a lot of people listen to her music for.

Naked In Manhattan:

I don’t listen to this song very often. It didn’t hit me very hard the first few times and I ended up not going back to it, but in listening to it for this review, I realized I was just focused on the track before it more and couldn’t appreciate this one. It’s a layered, catchy beat that again mimics the sound of early 2000s pop, which I like a lot. It’s fun, catchy, and I think I would definitely loop it while cleaning or doing a different menial task in order to make myself want to do it.

California:

This song is my third favorite and one that I loop on the regular. Being from California, it’s interesting to hear Roan’s perspective on the state as someone who is from the Midwest. She talks about the Hollywood expectation of making it big after moving here, the lack of seasons, and the thought that she would have made her family proud in California. It’s a beautiful song that shows her disappointment at not being able to make it in the music industry even after putting her all into it. I would not recommend this song, however, because it does not have the sound that a lot of listeners look for when listening to Chappell Roan.

Guilty Pleasure:

This song comes out of left field when you take the last few slow songs into account. This one, while slow, is more catchy and what some would call “campy”. It’s fun, loud, and loop-able. I like it a lot, my favorite part being the several key changes that she goes through during the course of the song. The underlying techno beat comes back from earlier songs and I’m able to relate it to songs like “Touch-a Touch-a Touch Me” from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. It’s an amazing closing song to the album.

Overall, I don’t think there’s any song on this album I would skip. They all play their own parts and I would definitely recommend this album to anyone who wants to get into a new type of pop! It’s such a fun album and it makes you want to dance around while also thinking about every detail of your life as a teenager.

– Tanvi G.

Album Review: Fireworks and Rollerblades

Posted on by
Reply

Fireworks and Rollerblades is the debut album of American singer-songwriter, Benson Boone. Over the past 2-3 years he has released a few singles including the viral hit “In the Stars.” Finally, he had a huge breakthrough moment with the song “Beautiful Things.” I always admired his lyrics because I found them quite emotionally sensitive in a way no other male pop artist has (except Conan Gray). The production is nothing special but also it fits the songs perfectly. I was not really looking out for this album, but once I listened to it, I could not stop. Here are my favorite tracks:

-Cry

-Be Someone

-There She Goes

They follow similar ideas many other artists have sung about in the past. However, not many artists (especially men), have such a strong vocal performance. His singing, aesthetic, and stage presence remind me of Freddie Mercury. I think he is too young and has not had the impact of Mercury, but he has many similarities. He also has the beautiful lyrics of another Gen Z male singer, Conan Gray, who also just had an album release. Boone’s album has been a commercial success so far and currently, he is scheduled to perform as an opening act on Taylor Swift’s “The Era’s Tour”. He was also on stage with Lana del Rey recently. I hope through his performances he will be able to gain more recognition and hopefully, Grammy’s next year.

Album Review: The Tortured Poets Department

Posted on by
Reply

The Tortured Poets Department is the eleventh album from singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Before this album, I liked most songs on each one of her albums except for her first album because I do not like country music. The thing I found most interesting about Taylor was her relatable poetic lyrics matched with simple but occasionally interesting instrumentation. Personally, I am a huge fan of her albums Speak Now, 1989, and Evermore.  In the past, Swift has received criticism for her singing ability and range. Over her past few albums, she was able to prove that she was a competent singer. Every single one of her albums she was able to improve on something people questioned her ability on, until this last album. Her massive rise in popularity the last two years has led to her receiving nearly no criticism. While her last album was good, it was not the best album that year, yet it still won “Album of the Year” at the Grammy’s over more deserving artists like Olivia Rodrigo, SZA, and Lana Del Rey.

This album, The Tortured Poet Department, is Swift’s most sonically one-dimensional and least unique album. The songs seem to all bleed into each other with the vocals sounding the same and it seems to be her most uninteresting instrumentation. Think back to albums like Red, which had a pleasant guitar present in almost every song, or 1989, which brought a new modernized version of 80’s synth-pop. This album seems to be reminiscent of Midnights but with more pianos and guitars, and sadly nothing truly different from what she has done in the past. More often than not, these songs are worse versions of her old songs or other artists’ styles. 

Fortnight (feat. Post Malone):

The main message in the song is that “I love you, it’s ruining my life”. She talks about living next to your ex and wanting to kill his wife. She describes only being with this man for a fortnight (14 days). It features Post Malone, however, he does not have a verse. Instead, he is background vocals for most of the song. This seems to be a habit of Taylor Swift when she collaborates to relegate other artists to a very minimal role such as Lana Del Rey, Chris Stapelton, and HAIM. However, her duets with Bon Iver are some of her best songs in my opinion. I would have loved to have seen something similar here. The song has a mid-tempo pace, boring lyrics, and a meaningless-sounding instrumental. 

The Tortured Poets Department:

This song really reminded me of the “Mariners Apartment Complex” by Lana Del Rey, but not as good. She explains in the song to her ex-lover that no one is going to love them like she did. I actually somewhat enjoy the chorus of the song, when she says “You’re not Dylan Thomas, I’m not Patti Smith. This ain’t the Chelsea Hotel, we’re modern idiots”. This is one of the rare times in this song where her figurative language is catchy likely on her past albums. It seems that not just on this song but on the whole album she is making things as poetic as possible, however, it is just not catchy and does not make sense. Like when she says “You fall asleep like a tattooed golden retriever”. 

My Boy…Down Bad/So Long, London

I personally love “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys.” I loved the concept of Taylor being a doll that people would look at, but this guy took her out of the box. One of the best choruses and bridges on the entire album. “Down Bad” was a song really did not like. She curses unnecessarily throughout the song. I found it interesting that Taylor admits that “everything comes out teenage petulance”, but it shocked me that she did not do anything to remedy this. There are other concepts of the album, like her struggles with fame, and the thought of someone new (Olivia Rodrigo) being better than her. It would have been better if she had gone into these ideas more. “So Long, London,” the quintessential Taylor Swift track 5 (which should have been loml), has a weird instrumentation like she is going on a run and the lyrics are just racing through her mind. However, Taylor does not stop running, there is not a change in instrumentation, and seemed unusually rushed though it’s over four minutes long. 

But Daddy I Love Him/Fresh Out The Slammer

This seems to be an older more mature version of Taylor’s first hit song “Love Story.” Not only did “Love Story” have a better instrumentation and used the symbolism of being this novel kind of forbidden love. It also made more sense because at the time she was around 18 years old and living with her parents, now Taylor is a 34-year-old billionaire. In “Fresh Out The Slammer,” she describes getting out of relationships and wondering who she is going to call. This is a little odd because of Swift’s many songs explaining how hard it is to get over guys. Just like nearly all of the songs there really is no change in pace and seems a little one-dimensional. 

Florida (feat. Florence + The Machine)/ Guilty As Sin?

While these songs sonically sound probably the best, with more of a rise and fall in the music, it has probably the worst topics on the album. “Florida,” for instance, is a song where she describes going to Florida to escape her worries. However, lyrically it seems like a Lana Del Rey song off the album Honeymoon. The feature is much more prevalent than the Post Malone song, however, this does not feel like the right song for Florence + The Machine vocals. “Guilty as Sin?” is a song where Taylor admits to wanting to cheat on her boyfriend. She explains because it did not happen then she can’t be guilty as sin. This is beyond hypocritical considering how many songs she has written bashing people for cheating (“Better than Revenge,” “Should’ve Said No”).

Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me/ loml

“Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me,” is a good example of Taylor Swift, just being overdramatic and painting herself as a victim. I do not deny that fame affects some people like Britney Spears, there are people like Britney who have suffered and gone through way more. While she has gone through a lot over the years, the idea she describes as being raised in an asylum, when she grew up in a mansion with a Christmas tree farm and her parents protected her best interest. “Loml” on the other hand is easily my favorite and the best song of the album. One of Taylor’s best songs period, it is far sadder than something like “All Too Well.” Swift explains how she allowed herself to believe this man’s promises of marriage when there were signs to show her otherwise. The lyrics are poetic and make sense. Musically it is a simple piano ballad, but it really allows her lyrics to shine through. 

I Can Do It With A Broken Heart/Clara Bow

These songs conceptually are quite good. However, the instrumentation is a little bit odd sounding in “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart.” It sounds like the 1989 vault tracks or Midnights but it does not sound right for this song. In “Clara Bow,” Taylor sings about how the “it-girls” over the years have been replaced and compared to their predecessors. In the final verse, she says “You look like Taylor Swift, in this life. We’re loving it, you’ve got that edge she never did”. I think this is about Olivia Rodrigo, who is clearly the biggest young female artist, who already has records that Swift does not with only two albums. 

Overall I think this is Taylor’s worst album since her debut. However, I think because of the Era’s tour and the level of success she is at now, Swift will receive little criticism. I think she has far better albums like Speak Now, Red, Lover, and Evermore to name a few. I think it would be a real shame to praise this when she was capable of so much more in the past. 

Band Review: Mad Caddies

Posted on by
Reply

I like a lot of bands, most of which are relatively unknown. I’d like to introduce you to one of them, Mad Caddies.

Mad Caddies is a ska band from around Solvang and Santa Barbara here in California. They’ve been around since 1997 with their debut album Quality Soft Core. I first learned about them from, of all places, the radio of our Uber driver’s car in Portugal over summer break in 2022, and I’ve been a fan of theirs ever since.

I would like to highlight a few albums by them, starting with Rock the Plank. Rock the Plank is sort of pirate themed, but also has some other themes, like a bar fight themed song. My favorite Mad Caddies album is Keep It Going, which has a great opener and closer in “The Dirge” and “End Dirge” respectively. The album also has some great songs like “Lay Your Head Down,” “Coyote,” and “Tired Bones,” but especially “Backyard” and “State of Mind.” “Backyard” has some of the best lyrics/advice of any song I’ve heard, and also leads into “State of Mind,” which I think has some of the best instrumentals out of any of their songs.

I also went to a mini-festival that had Mad Caddies as the closing band. It was at the Garden Amphitheatre in Garden Grove, California, and they played a ton of great songs. It was only around 300 people, but they put on a great show and it had good energy.

So, have you ever heard of Mad Caddies? Do they sound interesting to you? Why don’t you give them a listen and tell me what you think in the comments!

Listen to the Mad Caddies on Freegal, free with your Mission Viejo Library card!