I Listened to Dawn FM by The Weeknd

I’ve listened to The Weeknd on and off over the years. I’ve certainly had my favorite songs. With the release of Star Boy (2016), I started following his music more closely. I enjoyed that album, especially for the collaboration with Daft Punk. After Hours (2020) produced some of my favorite tracks: Blinding Lights, Save Your Tears, Too Late, Hardest To Love, the titular After Hours, etc. It felt reflective, and it was also a tonal shift.

I finally got around to listening to The Weeknd’s 2022 album, Dawn FM. There are no words to describe how much I’ve been enjoying it. I’ve replayed it in full too many times to count, before I finally decided to dedicate a post to it.

The Weeknd does retro pop so well, and each track was precise in its messaging and consistently good in its lyrics and backtracks. All the hallmarks of dance and synth were present, but the album excels at feeling fresh and current. I really can’t name a single song that’s greater than the other, because Dawn FM was just one of those albums where I enjoy every track on its list.

I loved the concept here, as well as the delivery. It was styled after the experience of listening to the radio. Jim Carrey narrates the album, acting as a guide through The Weeknd’s version of purgatory. And the dark imagery I’ve come to associate with his style was present in the music videos that were released in support of Dawn FM.

All that to say: Dawn FM is one of my favorite albums of 2022.

I Listened to Hypnos by Ravyn Lenae

Crush EP is one of my all-time favorites. I enjoyed it for how well it took classic R&B with a splash of disco and synth sounds, and gave them a fresh spin. I’ve been waiting for more music by this artist too, and yet I somehow missed the announcement for Ravyn Lenae’s debut album, Hypnos.

Crush left a big impression. As I said above, it’s one of my favorite Eps, and what it lacked in length it more than made up for in quality. With a tracklist sitting at sixteen songs, Hypnos is a much bigger offering of Lenae’s artistry. It’s thoroughly entrenched in R&B with the same soft and soulful edge that I was first introduced to in Crush. As far as debut albums go, Hypnos is one of the best.

Hypnos is an album that’s arranged well, and I’d suggest listening to it in the order of its tracklist. The intro, Cameo, is short and to the point. M.I.A. feels a little like it was influenced by dancehall music. And while some of the middle section dips into a slightly mellower tone, it picks up again as the album moves toward the closing, Wish.

All-in-all, Hypnos was a solid album.

I Listened to Harry's House by Harry Styles

Its only recently that I started listening to Harry Styles’ solo music (thanks Coachella livestream), but I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve put on my playlist so far. So I was pretty excited when I learned that Harry Styles was releasing a new album not too long after that.

I waited up for Harry’s House, and I listened to it in one sitting. Some parts can feel mellow, but I actually like Styles’ slower songs. For the most part, there’s something that feels effortlessly bright, summery, and catchy about this album; which I appreciated so much. Even what I thought would be the simplest songs, instead offered a lot of good beats and lyrics to explore.

Music For a Sushi Restaurant is light and fun, as well as the perfect hook that offered an entry to the tone of the rest of the songs. The album’s single, As It Was, is already familiar (and its still one of my personal favorites). But there’s plenty more to latch onto. Some of my other favorite tracks included Cinema, Keep Driving, and Satellite. While Love of My Life offered a truly memorable and excellent closing note.

Harry’s House is definitely one of my top favorite albums of 2022 so far.

I Listened to Serpentina by Banks

 

Serpentina is Banks’s highly anticipated fourth studio album. It was certainly one of my most anticipated albums of the year.

The overall feel is a lot different from The Altar (2016) and III (2019). Even so, it’s very much a “Banks” album in all the best ways, with a lot of synth effects, auto-tune, and some experimentation—it’s a blend of genres—but the beats are catchy. They have a certain moody and atmospheric edge that works well with Banks’s vocals, which I’ve come to expect and appreciate. And when it delivers, it delivers.

The lyrics are just excellent. I expected nothing less, but even then I underestimated it. There were way too many lines that I wanted to quote. Some of my favorites come from the songs Skinnydipped, Meteorite, Holding Back, and Birds by the Sea. But, all of the tracks are a solid offering, and it’s hard to choose any one song that stands out as a top favorite when they’re all so good.

Overall, Serpentina has quickly become a favorite. And so far, I’m having a great time listening to it on repeat.

I Listened to Crash by Charli XCX

 

Charlie XCX is one of those artists where I know that whatever they put out, it’s probably going to be a good listening experience. With features including Rina Sawayama, Christina and the Queens, and Caroline Polachek, Crash—Charli XCX’s 2022 album—finds it stride and keeps it as it bops along to beats that can feel somewhat familiar without losing the edge that makes them enjoyable. 

Crash feels like a love letter to Pop and Electro-Pop, reminding me of some hits from the early 2000s. But Charli XCX puts enough of a spin to these sounds that makes the album current while it visits the past. It was a good combination, and it suited the vocals and lyrics.

The titular Crash drops right into the album, while Twice closes out the track list on a memorable note. Some of my favorite songs include Yuck, Lightning, and Beg For You featuring Rina Sawayama. Overall though, I really liked what Crash offered, and I know I’ll have this album on repeat for a while.

Upcoming Music I'm Waiting For Part 2 (2022)

Since its March (already three months into 2022), I thought I would revisit the subject of upcoming music. Some more stuff has been announced, and a couple of the albums I’m very excited for.  

Today is also the 15th of March, which is Our Thoughts Precisely's blogiversary. The blog is officially 9 years old! I never have anything specifically planned for this day, but I thought I would mention it here. Thanks again to all the people who have stopped by, read our posts, and left blog comments. 

Now, onto the list....

 

• Serpentina by Banks (April 8, 2022): Recently, there has been a trickle of singles coming out from Banks. Serpentina has finally been announced, and I like what I’ve heard so far. So I’m very excited to see what’s in store from the follow-up to 2019’s III.

• Back From the Dead by Halestorm (May 6, 2022): It’s been a while since I regularly followed Halestorm’s music, but I’m anticipating their next album, Back From the Dead.
• Explosions by Three Days Grace (May 6, 2022): Three Days Grace was a band I used to listen to when I was younger. I’ve been listening to some of their recent stuff, and I’m excited for this album.
• Palaces by Flume (Mary 20, 2022): I liked Flume’s 2016 album, Skin, so I had to add Palaces to this list.
• Other albums with limited information (TBA; To Be Announced): Saweetie, Rina Sawayama, Kimbra, Cardi B.

That’s it for now. As always, my lists are ever changing. So who knows, maybe there will be part three of "upcoming music I’m waiting for" later in the year. We’ll see.

What upcoming albums are you waiting for?

I Listened to Motordrome by MØ

 

It’s been a while since MØ’s last album (Forever Neverland came out in 2018). So, another one of my most anticipated albums of the first part of 2022 was Motordrome. I didn’t closely follow the singles leading up to the January 28th release date, but I was still eager to dive into this album.

Motordrome is MØ’s third studio album. There were no features, but honestly it wasn’t needed. Motordrome was a solid foray into pop music, with touches of electronic and a few beats that felt like a brief reference to the sound of MØ’s first studio album, No Mythologies to Follow. It was so good. Some of my favorites included Live to Survive, Wheelspin, New Moon, Goosebumps, and Hip Bones.

Don’t get me wrong though, Motordrome is its own thing. MØ clearly had something to say, and the album feels as if it’s telling a story to its listeners and is, overall, carried by a different tone in a lot of aspects. It was still markedly a MØ album, and there was a lot to enjoy about Motordrome.

I Listened to The Gods We Can Touch by Aurora

A lot of good music came out in January of this year. First with FKA Twigs’s mixtape, Caprisongs, and now with Aurora’s album: The Gods We Can Touch. 

With Aurora, I already guessed that the album would be thematic, and I was right. The six singles—Cure For Me, Giving In To The Love, Exist for Love, Heathens, A Dangerous Thing, and Everything Matters featuring Pomme—offered a taste of the tone of the album, and the title paints a pretty clear picture of what to expect.

The Gods We Can Touch was emotional and topical, but ultimately it was lighter and different than some of Aurora’s previous music. It felt a lot more experimental and upbeat, bringing in notes of electro-pop without losing the ethereal/dreamy nature adjacent quality that I liked about Aurora’s backlist tracks. Some of my favorites from this particular album include: Cure For Me, Blood Like Wine, Exhale Inhale, and A Dangerous Thing.

In some ways, it reminded me of Halsey’s 2021 album: If I can’t Have Love, I Want Power. They both have historical and mythology references, but the albums go about the presentation of themes in a way unique to the respective artist.

So, The Gods We Can Touch was one of my most anticipated albums of 2022. My expectations were sky high, considering how good the singles preceding its release were. Overall, this was a great album, and I’m looking forward to Aurora’s next project.

I Listened to Caprisongs by FKA Twigs

While I started my blogging year with historical nonfiction, on the music side, the first thing I listened to was Caprisongs, FKA Twigs’s mixtape released on January 14th. 

Mixtapes can be hit or miss for me; after all it’s a place where experimentation with style and genre can (and often does) occur. So when they’re good they’re good. Some of my favorites have been Magdalena Bay’s Mini Mix vol. 1 & vol. 2, as well as Angel Haze’s Reservation. And Caprisongs falls right in with some of the best I’ve listened to.

When FKA Twigs releases something new, I know I’m in for a good time. With features including Pa Salieu and The Weeknd (among a handful of others), Caprisongs delivered everything I was looking for. Proceeded by two singles—Tears In The Club featuring The Weeknd and Jealousy featuring Rema—FKA Twigs’s genre-bending style and distinct vocals were front and center.

I listened to Caprisongs in one sitting, and I enjoyed every minute of it. From the splashy intro (Ride The Dragon), to the features (Honda, Tears In The Club, Papi Bones, Which Way, etc.), and to its excellent conclusion (Thank You Song). This is a mixtape I’ll be listening to again.

I Listened to Pop?, Rap?, and R&B? by Tierra Whack

Welcome to the first “I Listened To” post of 2022. Today, I’m going to delve into my thoughts about Tierra Whack’s most recent music, a series of Eps with three songs each that were released in December 2021. They’re called Rap?, Pop?, and R&B?. 

Tierra Whack is one of those artists that I return to time and time again. Her music is always so creative, and her vocals are a distinctive part of what makes her work so memorable. So once I started listening to the Eps, I went through all three in one sitting.

Rap?, Pop?, and R&B? have all the characteristics—in sound and stylish vibe—of what I’ve come to expect from Whack’s music. Here though, that sound was mixed with the influence of the genre associated with the Ep titles. Some of my top favorite songs from them include: Millions, Stand Up, Body of Water, and Heaven.

All in all, in terms of music, this was a great way to start the year. And I’m excited to see what the rest of 2022 has in store.

 

2021 Favorites

 

It’s almost December 31st. And, as 2021 winds down, it’s also time to talk about all of my favorite things from the year. 

Movies & TV Shows…

Surprisingly, I didn’t watch too many movies or try as many new shows as I thought I would have. I mainly rewatched old favorites when I happened to catch them. What I have, in terms of first time viewing, isn’t enough for it to get its own posts. So…

Some movies: F9, Poltergeist (1982), Nightbooks, Red Notice, Birds of Prey, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Venome: Let There Be Carnage.

Some TV shows: Discovery of Witches season 2, SurrealEstate, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Gone For Good, Lost in Space season 2.

Books And Short Stories…

Generally, I liked most of what I read this year. I focused more on nonfiction as well as backlist titles and sequels that I’ve wanted to read. I didn’t get to all of them this year, but that just means I’m going into the New Year with a good-sized TBR list to keep me preoccupied. So, here are my favorite books from 2021.

Nonfiction...

• To The Greatest Heights by Vanessa O'Brien
• Aristocracy by William Doyle 
• She Memes Well by Quinta Brunson
• The Heartbeat of Trees by Peter Wohlleben, translated by Jane Billinghurst
• Fire & Ice by Natalie Starkey 
• Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake

Fiction...

• Exit Strategy , Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
• We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal
• Tales from the Hinterland by Melissa Albert
• The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King by J. R.R. Tolkien
• The Case Study of Vanitas vol. 6, vol. #7 & vol. 8 by Jun Mochizuki
• Jelly by Clare Rees
• The Album of Dr. Moreau by Daryl Gregory 
• The Return of the Sorceress, Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno Garcia 
• Small Town Monsters by Diana Rodriguez-Wallach
• What Lives in the Woods by Lindsay Currie
• Mine by Delilah S. Dawson
• You Can Never Tell by Sarah Warburton 
• Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
• The Brilliant Abyss by Helen Scales
• Your Favorite Band Cannot Save You by Scotto Moore
• Dark Waters by Katherine Arden
• Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
• A Swift and Savage Tide by Chloe Neill
• A Murder Yule Regret by Winnie Archer 
• Hollywood Heroine by Sarah Kuhn 
• It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Murder by Maria DiRico

The short stories...

• The Karyōbinga Sings To Jiro by Riyu Ando (Strange Horizons; Issue: 11 January 2021) Note: there is a podcast version of the story available from Strange Horizons
  
• Your Own Undoing by P H Lee (Apex Magazine, January 19, 2021)
• #Selfcare by Annalee Newitz (Tor.com, January 19, 2021)
• Judge Dee and The Three Deaths of Count Werdenfels by Lavie Tidhar (Tor.com, February 10, 2021)
  
• A Serpent For Each Year by Tamara Jeree (Strange Horizons, Issue 1 February 2021)
• Las Girlfriends Guide to Subversive Eating by Sabrina Vourvoulias (Apex Magazine; Issue 122, March 2021)
• Mouth by Sasha Lapointe (Strange Horizons; Issue: 1 March 2021)
• Masquerade Season by ‘Pemi Aguda (Tor.com; March 24, 2021)
• Mysteries of Visiocherries/Misteri Visciceri by Rio Johan (Strange Horizons; Issue: April 26 2021)
• Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory by Martha Wells (Tor.com, April 19, 2021)
• The Angel of Khan el-Khalili by P. Djèlí Clark (Tor.com, April 28, 2021)
• The Life & Death of Mia Fremont: An Interview with a Killer by A.K. Hudson (Apex Magazine; May 4, 2021)
• Eilam is Forever by Beth Dawkins (Apex Magazine, July 6, 2021)
• Data Migration by Melanie Harding-Shaw (Strange Horizons; Issue: 12 July 2021)
• Survival, After by Nicole J. LeBoeuf (Apex Magazine, August 3, 2021)
• What Cacti Read by Mary Soon Lee (Strange Horizons; Issue; 26 July 2021) 
• Cocoon by H. Pueyo (Strange Horizons; Issue: 2 August 2021)
• Judge Dee and the Poisoner of Montmartre by Lavie Tidhar (Tor.com; September 15, 2021)
• Thread Count by Cynthia Gómez (Strange Horizons; Issue: Fund Drive 2021)
• Bespoke Nightmares by Carolina Valentine (Strange Horizons; Issue: 18 October 2021)

Music…

2021 was a great year for music. It seemed like most of my favorite artists had new music coming out, and I discovered a few new bands and groups I want to follow. Below is a list of all my favorite albums and EPs I listened to in 2021. There is no particular order.

• Alpha by CL
• Planet Her by Doja Cat
• Mini Mix vol. 1 and vol. 2, A Little Rhythm and a Wicked Feeling, and Mercurial World by Magdalena Bay
• Last Year Was Weird Vol. 3 by Tkay Maidza
• 1/f and Pink Noise by Laura Mvula
• If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power by Halsey
• Scaled and Icey by Twenty One Pilots
• 2000AND4EVA by Bree Runway
• The Bitter Truth by Evanescence
• Montero by Lil Nas X
• Harenchi by Chanmina

And that’s it. I hope everyone is having a great holiday season. I will see you all in the New Year!

I Listened to Mercurial World by Magdalena Bay

Magdalena Bay’s Mercurial World was one of the three albums I was waiting for in October. I first listened to their music during the summer—I even did a post about going through their backlist songs HERE—and since then I have been waiting for their album. And it didn’t disappoint.

Mercurial World is one of my favorite albums of the year, and it surprised me in all the right ways. And that’s saying something because my hopes were so high for it. Mercurial World has the feel and sound of Magdalena Bay’s music that I’ve come to expect—that distinctive style that blends synth, electronic, and pop—which I loved. The transition between the songs was near seamless, and the overall listening experience was great with how easily the album flowed from one song to the next. It felt like it was over too soon, but it was longer than Mini Mix vol.1 and vol. 2. I’ve already replayed Mercurial World several times since its release.

Each song felt very individual, but as I mentioned above, there was a distinct sound that made it part of the whole picture. The singles Chaeri, You Lose!, and Secrets (Your Fire) are already recognizable—I even picked Chaeri for a Music Monday post a while ago HERE. Some of my other favorite songs, in no particular order, include: Dreamcatching, Mercurial World, Prophecy, Follow the Leader, Domino, and The Beginning.

All-in-all, Mercurial World was an incredibly strong debut album.

I Listened to If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power by Halsey

In the past, I’ve listened to Halsey’s music on an off, and I’ve had my favorite songs over the years. I’m being completely honest when I say that I forgot If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power was coming out this year. Then the album came up on my feed, and I have to say that I like what Halsey did here. If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power was an atmospheric listen. It’s some of the most thematic pieces of work I’ve listened to from Halsey. The lyrics were vulnerable and personal but also hard hitting, and the music was ambitious with an excellent delivery. It was still pop, but there was an edgier and darker feeling and tone to it that proved to make for an engrossing album. Some of my favorite tracks included the opening called The Tradition—which had a haunting sound—along with Bells of Santa Fe, Girl Is a Gun, Easier than Lying, I Am Not A Woman I’m A God, You Asked For This, and Whispers. At the end of the day, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power is one of my favorite albums of 2021. 

I Listened to Music by Magdalena Bay

Last month, I added another group to my playlist called Magdalena Bay. I really liked their song, Cheari, and spent some time exploring their backlist of music in preparation for their album, Mercurial World, which will be released on October 8, 2021.

My first foray was one of their 2020 releases: A Little Rhythm and a Wicked Feeling. Totaling at eight tracks, this album was really good. The overall sound reminded me of the same style of Cheari, which was pop and electronic track (I mentioned it on a Music Monday post a few weeks back). The uniformity didn’t mean that it was boring though, far from it actually. There was plenty to find here.

Next, I tackled the first part out of two EPs called Mini Mix vol. 1. Magdalena Bay has a particular style to their music, which is easy enough to pick up on. Mini Mix vol.1 had the same kind of electronic/pop type sound as their album, except it had a slightly mellower feel to it than the upbeat tone to A Little Rhythm and a Wicked Feeling. It often felt kind of experimental. The songs were way shorter here with the longest coming in at two minutes and twenty-three seconds. Another artist who did this was Tierra Whack (Whack World was a full length album with fifteen songs that were only a minute each). And just like with Whack World, I wished that a few of Mini Mix vol. 1 tracks were longer than they were such as Turning Off The Rain, Afternoon in Heaven, and U Wanna Dance?.

From there, I jumped right into Mini Mix vol. 2, which was their second 2020 release. I was much more prepared for the length of the songs, which were all under three minutes here as well. Still, there was so much to like about it. I won’t go on too long rehashing the type of music you’ll find, since much of what I said about Mini Mix vol. 1 also applies to the second EP. Some of my favorites from vol.2 were Sky2Fall, Body, Live 4ever, and Sky2Fall Reprise.

Despite the short length of the songs, Mini Mix vol. 1 and vol. 2 offered a good variety of bite-sized offerings of Magdalena Bay’s music.

Overall, I recommend all three. And now, I will be over here waiting for Mercurial World.

I Listened to Last Year Was Weird vol. 3 by Tkay Maidza

 

At long last, Last Year Was Weird vol. 3 is finally here. This was another one of my most anticipated music releases of 2021, and Tkay Maidza’s third foray into the Last Year Was Weird mixtape series didn’t disappoint.

Besides the singles (Syrup, Cashmere, and Kim featuring Yung Baby Tate), some of top favorites from the mixtape were also Eden, So Cold, High Beams, and Breathe. The only two features (with Yung Baby Tate and UMI) here, were great, and their sections of the songs (Kim and Onto Me respectively) flowed well with Tkay Maidza’s voice.

When I look at the three releases all together, Last Year Was Weird vol. 3 was another strong release with the same high quality as the first two installments. The sound composition and Maidza’s overall delivery of the lyrics on the eight tracks, speaks to a clear artistic vision that blended a host of genres to create some truly memorable tracks.

Footnote: The Guardian actually has a great write up about Last Year Was Weird (HERE), which explained how the idea came about. I highly recommend giving that a read.

I Listened to 2000AND4EVA by Bree Runway

There has been a trend in music lately where some familiar sounds from the eighties, nineties, and early two thousands are being revisited. Yet not just revisited, but also given a fresh spin. You can find it with Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa, and Laura Mvula’s latest singles to name a few. One mixtape that I’ve been listening to that also follows that trend is Bree Runway’s 2020 album: 2000AND4EVA. As the name of it suggests, this mixtape is peak early two thousands energy, and I love it.

Bree Runway has a track record of always delivering catchy hits like What Do I Tell My Friends, Big Racks featuring Brook Candy, 2ON, and All Night. 2000AND4EVA follows in those footsteps. With nine songs, the mixtape takes a twenty-one minute drive through music from the last decade. Yet it doesn’t feel stale. Bree Runway’s vocals are great here, and I enjoyed the full track list. The theme of the mixtape came through strongest in songs like Damn Daniel featuring Yung Baby Tate, both versions of LITLLE NOKIA, Rolls Royce, and ATM featuring Missy Elliott.

My overall impression of 2000AND4EVA is a positive one. It’s a strong collection of music from Bree Runway, and if you’ve liked music from this artist before then you won’t be disappointed with this one. 

  

I Listened to Scaled And Icy by Twenty One Pilots

I have been waiting for Scaled and Icy since I heard about it. Twenty One Pilots is currently one of my favorite bands. I was introduced to their music with Blurryface (2015), and its follow-up, Trench (2018), was one of my favorite albums the year it was released. Scaled and Icy is finally here.

It was an enjoyable album to listen to with some of my personal favorites from it being Redecorate, Saturday, Stay Away, No Chances, and Choker just to name a few.

If you’ve listened to a lot of Twenty One Pilots’s music, you can tell the band has a certain style to their music. And while the overall sound of Scaled and Icy isn’t as dark and brooding as some of their earlier music—with a far more pop sound and a certain brightness—it still exists within Twenty One Pilots’s distinctive style. The album feels reflective and experimental, and it arrives right on time for summer.

I Listened to 1/f by Laura Mvula

 

 

One artist I’ve wanted more music by was Laura Mvula. Phenomenal Women is still on my playlist, and one of the catchiest songs I’ve listened to. Laura Mvula has returned in 2021 with an EP titled 1/f, in which she reworks three of her previously released songs—Sing To The Moon, Show Me Love, and Green Garden—which were accompanied by a cover of Diana Ross’s hit, I’m Still Waiting. 

This was a great EP. The sound of the songs was completely reworked, giving a fresh update to tracks that were already lovely to listen to. The original versions of Sing To The Moon, Show Me Love, and Green Garden had a mellow, instrumental sound—like the live performances Mvula’s did with the Metrapole Orkest. They were already powerful songs to begin with and some of my favorites from Mvula. The new versions recorded for 1/f had a much more pop and synth sound, which also suited the lyrics perfectly too. I can’t say that I like one version more than the other though, because they’re equally good and I can’t recommend them enough.

I also enjoyed the cover of I’m Still Waiting. It’s a great song no matter which way you look at it, and Laura Mvula’s cover was excellent.

Overall, this EP was a pleasant surprise, and it leaves a great impression and a need for more. Laura Mvula’s third studio album has been announced, and I can’t wait to give it a listen.

I Listened to III by Banks

 

Back in 2019, I never did get around to writing about III by Banks. It was one of the albums I was looking forward to that year, and I listened to it off and on through 2020. Recently, I finally sat down and gave it a proper listen. III is the kind of album that grew on me the more I listened to it, and by February 2021 I had a whole new appreciation for it.

III is a good album. Banks’s vocals are always fantastic, and I can say that the same quality can be found here too. Banks delivers a wide range of sound that incorporates all the hallmarks of pop with a somewhat sharper edge, which often treaded into electronic and synth as well. There weren’t dance tracks here, as the album seemed to favor a heavier sound. It worked well, given the emotionally charged and brooding atmosphere that seemed to be a signature of III—even more so than Banks’s previous album, The Altar.

A song like Stroke comes to mind as a good example of what I mean along with: Godless, Sawzall, Look What You’re Doing To Me, and The Fall among others. All you have to do is pay attention to the lyrics.

I Listened to Coping Mechanisms by Tayla Parx

One artist I’ve had my eye on is Tayla Parx. I knew her first through her work for other artists like Ariana Grande (Thank U, Next) and Khalid (Love Lies, featuring Normani). Her debut studio album was one of my favorites of the year it was released, and since then I’ve been eagerly waiting for the follow-up to We Need to Talk. Well, that second studio album is here. Coping Mechanisms was released on November 20, 2020. I was pretty late getting to the album, but I’m glad I made time to give it a full listen.  

We Need To Talk had a very mainstream pop feel and sound to it. While Coping Mechanisms has a somewhat different tone without losing the essence of its pop roots, and there were other sounds mixed in—think R&B. As a consequence, Coping Mechanisms feels like Tayla Parx honed familiar sounds into a style distinctly her own.

Coping Mechanisms opens with a song called Sad. It had a mellow vibe that acts as a perfect way to ease into what’s to come after. It goes right into Dance Alone, which is one of my top favorite tracks from the album and gives a smooth funky vibe with the guitar and synth sounds in the backtrack. While System—another favorite of mine—had a harder tone and electronic vibes. It was as equally good as the rest of the album. Some of my other top favorites included Fixerupper, Bricks, and Residue.

Coping Mechanisms was a fantastic, fun, and memorable foray into Tayla Parx’s work. It was a solid album, with excellent lyrics and catchy beats found on every track on its twelve song list. I was left with an overall positive impression.