5/10
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The bubbly and danceable singles from Shamir’s debut LP are fun and fantastic, but the rest of Ratchet is weighed down by a series of off-the-mark ballads.
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Snoop Dogg returns from his reggae stint with a Pharrell-produced synth funk album.
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On their major label debut, Hiatus Kaiyote delivers over an hour of faintly adventurous neo-soul.
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Sprinter comes out strong with some great singles, but loses steam fast in its second third.
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Atlanta rapper and singer Young Thug releases a one-dimensional album that couldn’t have possibly lived up to the drama-fueled hype that led up to it.
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Drenge’s sophomore album has a few highlights, but the rest of the record jumps from one underground rock style to another, making it feel like a musical identity crisis.
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The new Death Cab For Cutie album is the Washington band’s most middle-of-the-road release yet.
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Melbourne singer-songwriter Cortney Barnett’s debut LP works on simple garage rock grooves and a relatable charm.
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NY rapper Action Bronson comes through with his glitziest album yet, loaded with classy piano instrumentals and over-the-top lyrics. It’s the mountains of filler after the first third of the LP that kills it, tho.
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Indie rock vets Modest Mouse release their first album in 8 years.
