Blood Orange: “Negro Swan” (Review)

Blood Orange treads the same scattered, misty, non-linear paths as To Pimp A Butterfly-era Kendrick Lamar or latter-day D’Angelo on Negro Swan. Tracks lean and dart at weird angles. Sometimes it feels vexing and distant and you wish the focus narrowed. But most of the time, it’s beautiful kaleidoscopic chaos. It’s an album that feels refreshingly ambitious and unrestrained.

Continue reading “Blood Orange: “Negro Swan” (Review)”

The Internet: “Hive Mind” (Review)

After their surprising 2015 breakthrough album Ego Death, The Internet are suddenly the darlings of the indie music world. Their lead singer, Sydney “Syd” Bennett, has become a genuine star. Their bass player is about to follow suit. The follow-up in the wake of this success is Hive Mind, an album that tries to capture that same creamy fusion of jazz, hip-hop and R&B from their breakthrough. The result shows a band perfecting its craft while offering some true daringly artistic promise. It will make you want them to unshackle the chains on their next one.

Continue reading “The Internet: “Hive Mind” (Review)”