NTTR - No Time to Review

An ambitious but uneven debut, combining delicate vocals, atmospheric guitars and elaborate chamber-pop arrangements with occasional bursts of distorted alternative rock. Olēka demonstrates considerable imagination and an interesting ability to create emotional contrasts, although the predictable crescendos, excessive production and often underdeveloped melodies make the album considerably less memorable than its elaborate arrangements might suggest. With Human Error , American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Olēka delivers her debut studio album, moving between alternative rock, chamber pop, indie folk and atmospheric post-rock. Having previously collaborated with Quadeca, she adopts a similarly expansive approach to production, combining delicate acoustic instruments, distorted guitars, layered vocals and cinematic instrumental developments. It's a musical direction I generally appreciate, although I find the results rather inconsistent. What interests me most is the...

An imaginative but rather exhausting experimental electronic album, combining glitchy breakbeats, fragmented samples, jazz instrumentation and occasional beautiful atmospheric passages. Heavensouls demonstrates considerable creativity and an impressive ability to manipulate unusual sounds, but the overcrowded arrangements, constant rhythmic interruptions and lack of coherent musical development make the record considerably more interesting in theory than consistently enjoyable. With “cantu” of the sower , heavensouls, the experimental project of Nigerian-born musician Chidi Obialo, presents six expansive compositions that move between glitch, ambient, jazz, electronic hip-hop and fragmented sound collages. It's an ambitious musical approach, with an extraordinary number of influences and instrumental combinations. However, while I appreciate the imagination and occasional beautiful melodies, I find the overall listening experience rather frustrating. What interests me most is the c...

A short and occasionally enjoyable hip-hop album, combining Denzel Curry's technical delivery with Kenneth Blume's dusty samples, eccentric loops and deliberately rough production. The collaboration retains some of the personality of UNLOCKED, particularly during its more aggressive moments, but the familiar influences, repetitive lyrical themes and underdeveloped compositions make this sequel considerably less exciting than its predecessor. With ii , Denzel Curry and Kenneth Blume, formerly known as Kenny Beats, reunite six years after UNLOCKED . Their first collaboration was an energetic and unpredictable exploration of old-school hip-hop, combining aggressive rapping, unusual samples and deliberately chaotic production. This second instalment follows a similar direction, although the arrangements are generally more restrained, with a stronger emphasis on traditional boom-bap and relatively conventional rhythmic structures. It's an enjoyable enough record, but I find it r...

An enjoyable but rather predictable heavy metal album, built around Tony Iommi's unmistakable guitar riffs and Jørn Lande's powerful vocals. The darker compositions occasionally recover the atmosphere that made Iommi such an influential musician, but the conventional songwriting, excessive vocal theatrics and polished production make the album considerably less interesting than its legendary guitarist might suggest. With From the Dark , Tony Iommi returns with his first full-length solo studio album in more than twenty years, following 2005's Fused . Accompanied by Jørn Lande on vocals, Becky Baldwin on bass and Karl Brazil on drums, he delivers eight compositions firmly rooted in traditional heavy metal, with occasional doom influences and orchestral arrangements. It's an enjoyable return, particularly because Iommi's guitar playing remains immediately recognisable, although I find the album rather conventional and ultimately somewhat disappointing. What I apprecia...

An imaginative but frustratingly uneven psychedelic rock album, combining beautiful pop melodies, vintage instrumentation and elaborate vocal harmonies with numerous experimental collages and fragmented compositions. The Olivia Tremor Control still have a distinctive musical personality, but the excessive interludes, chaotic arrangements and lack of coherence make this long-awaited final album considerably less enjoyable than its best moments suggest. With The Same Place , The Olivia Tremor Control finally release their third studio album, twenty-seven years after Black Foliage . Assembled from recordings spanning several decades, the album also represents the final chapter in the band's history following the deaths of Bill Doss and Will Cullen Hart. It's an unusual release, and I appreciate the effort involved in bringing these recordings together. However, despite the occasional beautiful melody and interesting instrumental arrangement, I find the result rather disappointing....

An oppressive and atmospheric black metal album, combining abrasive guitars, relentless drumming and ritualistic ambient passages into a dark and coherent musical experience. Fyrnask create some impressive moments of tension, but the dense production, repetitive arrangements and limited melodic development make the album more interesting for its atmosphere than for its individual compositions. With Íosir , German black metal project Fyrnask returns with its fifth studio album, following 2021's VII – Kenoma . The album explores a journey through death and the unknown, combining atmospheric black metal with ritualistic ambient passages and occasional doom influences. It's an ambitious concept, and the music certainly creates a convincing sense of darkness, although I find the result somewhat exhausting and not particularly memorable. What I appreciate most is the contrast between the aggressive black metal passages and the more restrained, almost ceremonial arrangements . The gui...