jackson

★ 8.7

album

BELOVED

GIVĒON

“i saw the deluxe version of this album, BELOVED: ACT II featured on like one of spotify's new drops of the week thingy and from the preview it seemed cool so i wanted to check it out. i listened to the base album, and its safe to say that it did not disappoint. this album is packed with lavish vocals and instrumentation, and the entire thing as a whole just seems like it's very well produced. i like the quality of how well it's made, and the songs don't really get boring for me. it's not necessarily that theres new things every second in these songs, but it's just that the sound isn't mundane and it's honestly refreshing. one thing i really wanna harp on about this album is the transitions. ohhh my gosh, the transitions are fire bro. i think i may be biased to think these are super cool because i don't usually listen to albums straight through, i've just started doing this, but man like they sound fire, especially the one from STRANGERS to NUMB. while listening i had to do a whole double take to make sure i was hearing it right. it was just so cool to hear. some other honorable mentions for transitions are DIAMONDS FOR YOUR PAIN to KEEPER and SIX:THIRTY to BACKUP PLAN. they're just so clean. it's very cohesive and flows really well, not just cuz of the transitions but just in general. additionally, the instrument choice and just the way things are played is just chef's kiss. the drums aren't too complex, but every so often they have their little point that just adds a special touch to the song. he also uses a sitar in a few of these songs, and idk about you but i love that instrument so much it's just adds so many style bonus points. all these cool little instruments paired with his soulful and rich vocals makes this an amazing r&b. this (according to spotify) 70s r&b really gives it a kinda like unique vibe that makes it so fresh to listen to. overall, its a nice album and i enjoyed listening to it, i recommend this for laila griffin and there’s like no skips.”

★ 8.5

album

Dayglow

Dayglow

“i’m really grateful for this album because Weatherman and Silver Lining are what got me into listening to Dayglow in the first place. after having just those two on my playlist for a while, i began to really get into Dayglow and listen to his entire discography which is fire btw. anyway with that being said, there are many things that i enjoy about this album. the syncopation in many of the tracks is very pleasing to my ears, and i enjoy how kind of imperfect the sound is. it’s not like overly raw, but here and there there will be little things in his voice and timing and stuff that make the sound more real for me. in my opinion, many of the songs are just very refreshing and easy to listen to because of how they are kinda upbeat and it’s just some nice indie rock or pop or something idk. some highlights of this album for me are Mindless Creatures, Cocoon, and Weatherman. i really enjoy Weatherman because of the meter change during the song because it’s just cool and i resonate with the meaning of the song as well. the lyrics say “How can you know before it happens?” which is really something i need to be reminded of a lot. my favorite song on the album though is probably Cocoon because of how enjoyable the melody is. the synth in this song is cool as well because it’s a cool lil feature 🥹 and the tambourine on the drums is fire. on the other hand, the only complaint i could think of is how a lot of the songs are kinda similar and can get repetitive. my least favorite is Broken Bone, i actually like it a lot but can’t listen to it all the way bc the middle-end part is boring. it’s probably the only song i would maybe skip while listening to this album. all in all it’s been a very nice album to listen to and i think it’s very deserving of a solid 8.5/10. it’s not a life changing masterpiece, but it has been very influential for me and just a tuff album.”