Troye Sivan Offers Voice to a Generation on Blue Neighbourhood

The YouTube Generation may have finally found its voice, and thank goodness it’s not PewDiePie. Enter Troye Sivan – the twenty-year-old singer/songwriter/actor – who has been in the hearts and minds of millions of YouTube subscribers ever since he came out as gay in an incredibly heartfelt video in 2013.

Fully disclosed and unfettered from public speculation, Sivan released two critically acclaimed and chart topping EPs, Wild andTRXYE. Thanks in large part to the success of the two EPs as well as social bumps from the likes of Taylor Swift (“GO @troyesivan WILD IS STUNNING AND AWESOME…”), Adele (On Sivan covering “Hello” – “I burst into tears”), and Sam Smith (Sivan’s cool timbre “Does things to [his] body.”), Sivan dropped his first full-length release, Blue Neighbourhood, on December 4th, through EMI Music Australia and Capitol.  

Blue Neighbourhood opens with an eponymous carryover from Sivan’s second EP, WILD. A heavy-hitting single masquerading as a leadoff track, “WILD” sounds reminiscent of a Lorde B-side, but with a more vivacious outlook – “Kissing up on fences and up on walls / On the way home / I guess its all working now…” Sivan’s unwrinkled vocals are a product of the upcoming generation of pop stars – minimally touched vocals, surrounded by airtight production allowing for more focus on overall tone versus individual tracks.

“WILD” also kicks off Sivan’s three part music video narrative of the relationship between two young boys as they experience tragedy, discovery, lust, loss, and melancholy throughout their lives. Second track on the album (and video number two), “FOOLS,” is yet another WILD EP holdover, though arguably the strongest of the three older tracks. “FOOLS,” expresses a traumatic realization of falling hard in a relationship, as well as a parallel to Sivan’s newfound fame “I need time to replace what I gave away / My hopes they are high / I must keep them small.”

Blue Neighbourhood is a different sort of debut than that of Sivan’s other pop counterparts. His coming out video in 2013 allowed for his debut to not be overanalyzed with focus on subject matter and who or what certain songs may be addressing. Instead, it allows for Sivan to comment directly and honestly on subjects that concern him the most, such as “HEAVEN,” featuring Betty Who. The track is one of the more ballad-leaning songs on Blue Neighbourhood, which allows it to operate as the true core of the record. It connects to the fundamental struggles of Sivan’s generation, fear of not attaining certain levels of acclaim, success, fulfillment, happiness, etc. In short, it asserts that everyone has enters their own “Blue Neighbourhood” at one point or another. What is a “Blue Neighbourhood” exactly? Sivan never really quite explains, but the YouTube generation anthem assuages any anxiety that his peers may succumb to.

In short, Blue Neighbourhood, is certainly a successful debut (it hopped to No. 1 on iTunes following the launch of its pre-order), but it still runs into pitfalls of exhibiting the extent of his vulnerability in sex on “BITE” and the struggle for normalcy while juggling fame on the predictably named “COOL,” but overall, Sivan shows that he holds more promise than other pop artists with a command of his narrative and voice. While Blue Neighbourhood is solid, and being propelled by millions of young Sivanians (perhaps a bit of a stretch), there is still room for Sivan to expand upon his narratives and mature as an artist and songwriter. 

'Spotlight' Offers an Authentic Portrait of 21st Century Hysteria

Being quite young during the onset of 9/11 paranoia, my own memory of the world during my adolescence is but a cluttered news reel of towers burning, Scott Peterson testimonies, and pastors sidestepping news crews on courthouse steps. But Tom McCarthy’s Spotlight clarifies this childhood as it authentically replicates America’s unraveling sense of security in the early 21st century. 

Spotlight follows the Boston Globe’s exposure of the child molestation conducted by the Catholic priests of the Boston Archdiocese since the early 1980s, and the Vatican’s subsequent cover-up of a scandal that proved to be more widespread than the endemic it was initially perceived to be. Michael Keaton plays Walter “Robby” Robinson, head of the Boston Globe’s “Spotlight” investigative team comprised of four “lapsed” Catholics: Mike Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo), Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachael McAdams), and Matt Carroll (Brian d’Arcy James). 

Upon first impression, the Spotlight team is highly unremarkable – white collar reporters investigating city scandals at a leisurely pace from the confines of a windowless office space saturated with the mundane. But once the air of ordinariness is established, tension persistently intensifies. With each successive step made closer to the truth, Spotlight is increasingly unnerved by its cognizance of the Church’s grave immorality, evident in how Rezendes’s internal torment steers him further and further away from his initial comical vibrancy. 

Spotlight’s cast delivers. Keaton’s rendition of Robinson’s professionalism is unflinching and Leiv Schreiber is uncomfortably distant as the new incoming editor Marty Baron. The cast does not surpass expectation, but it does not need to, since this is a film whose organic complexity and relevance will undoubtedly shake the religious foundations of even its most pious audience.

This film is best described as a white-washed neo-noire, a nice counterpoint to David Fincher’s brand of dark and disturbing. Its camera techniques are engagingly varied and while its symbolism can be as on-the-nose as a shot of a churchyard playground, consideration of that landscape’s normality begs questions of whether such imagery is on-the-nose enough. 

Spotlight captures a complex cultural moment made problematic by how intricately knotted it is in religious, legal, cultural, and economic difficulties. It examines society through every scope, covering ground between institutional responsibility to maintain the communal welfare and the role of faith in a hard knock blue-collar community. This is a film that will rustle inside you at the most unexpected moment, and - I think it is important to note - as I was leaving the theater, every elderly viewer present seemed incapable of leaving their seat.

'Brooklyn' Is a Subtly Sweet Oscar Contender

Oscar season is upon us, and so comes the more unique (Anamolisa), unnerving (The Revenant), and unapologetic (The Danish Girl) film releases from studios both large and small, all in hopes of gaining more fiscal and critical glory within Hollywood.

One of the earliest released, small(er) budget Oscar contenders, Brooklyn, is really none of the aforementioned descriptors; if anything it is unassuming – a film that offers no real cultural dissonance, dialogue, or distress – and therein lies the film’s true beauty. It is soft, sweet, thoughtful and tender.   

Brooklyn (adapted from the 2009 Colm Tóibín novel) is a period piece chronicling a young Irish girl, Eilis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan), and her journey emigrating from Ireland to the United States, and assimilating into American society in the early 1950s.

At its core, Brookyln is a coming of age story, in which Eilis is faced with a variety of obstacles, modest in nature, but altogether riveting with their realism. The subtle reality of Ronan’s performance offers much more depth than the average coming of age story:

We witness Eilis learning (the hard way) how to operate on an trans-Atlantic voyage – through a particularly graphic bout of food poisoning mixed with sea sickness, in what will surely be one of the more graphic Oscar-worthy performances in years past.  

Ronan deftly presents courting in 1952 Brooklyn with the same subtle anxiety and palpable emotion not uncommon in today’s dating scene - at a dance put on by the local church, Eilis eventually meets her husband to be, Tony Fiorello (Emory Cohen). Tony, an Italian boy, shows much more interest than Eilis, but chips away at her hardened exterior in hopes of one day winning her heart. They meet every night to walk home from Eilis’ night classes at Brooklyn College, where she studies to become a bookkeeper. Their exchanges become more intimate and earnest, talking about raising their kids to be Brooklyn Dodger fans, as Tony helps Eilis find a sense of belonging in America.

Just when it seems that Eilis has finally carved herself a place in Brooklyn, and life was beginning to look up, there is wretched moment in the film’s third act. Eilis, still working at Bartocci’s Department Store, is informed by Father Flood (Jim Broadbent) and Miss Fortini (Jessica Pare) that her biggest supporter and beloved older sister, Rose (Fiona Glascott), who gave up the chance of a life of her own in order for Eilis to chart a path to America, has died.

Eilis’ sister’s death catalyzes the film’s ultimate dilemma. Being called back to Ireland to put her sister to rest, familiar faces come back with great reverence and regard for the Americanized Eilis, including one Mr. Jim Farrell (continuing an already impressive year for Domhnall Gleeson). For the rest of the film, Eilis is tasked with choosing which life suits her best, framed by delicate moments of painstaking decisions between the familiarity of home or her responsibility for her life lead in America.

More understated in tone than its source material, screenwriter Nick Hornsby and director John Crowley masterfully transport an already charming story to screen in a hyperrealistic manner. Dramatically speaking, the conflict in the film moves at a glacial pace, but therein lies one of the greatest aspects of Brooklyn – the film reflects the subtlety of charting one’s own course in life. An film that is sure to be a career defining moment for Saoirse Ronan, as well as an Academy Awards 2016 darkhorse – Brooklyn reminds us that there is no debt to one’s past, and the greatest moments in life are not owed to others, but rather, shared.

Freddie Gibbs Brings His Name Into the Limelight on 'Shadow of Doubt'

Not even a year removed from joining forces with 808 doyen Madlib to create one of 2014’s best collaborative efforts, Piñata, rapper Freddie Gibbs has found time to drop two EPs and his most recent full length effort, Shadow of Doubt. One of the more underrated and tireless lyricists on the circuit today, the Gary, Indiana native son has done nothing but further amalgamate his legacy as rap’s most unheralded hero.

Shadow of Doubt is a far cry from the dynamic duet that was Piñata, with Gibbs exchanging Madlib’s singular break beats and samples for multi-producer packaging, spanning the hip-hop spectrum. In turn, the variety allows Gibbs to flex his lyrical musings in an array of fashions – some brimming with machismo (“Forever and a Day”), salty dog syndrome (“Freddie Gordy”), and a possibly self-narrating jilted lover opining over past oblivion (“Careless”). The frenetic emotional energy asserts Gibbs’ ability to separate Shadow of Doubt from any past bodies of work, further cementing the underestimated prowess of his flow.

Gibbs has for some time now been considered one of the more hawkish of his rap compatriots – at times more brute lyrical force than emotional finesse - with such a precedent being torn down by one of Shadow of Doubt’s most powerful tracks, “Insecurities.” Disarming self-awareness laced with an almost regretful tone – “I was ready for whatever, man / I remember I was selling things / I let it go” - allows for Gibbs to present an offertory that is almost unbecoming, had it not been masterfully paced by Gibbs’ classic cadence. 

Another highlight of Shadow of Doubt is the Gibbs’ choice of collaborators. He calls upon his rap contemporaries; take “10 Times,” a more modern approach to hip-hop, ranging from the hazy mediations from Gucci to flipping the of the script to Bay Area legend E-40, who offers one of the more humorous non-Gibb verses on Shadow of Doubt: “Lifestyle, ribbit, ribbit / That’s what I’m going to use when I stick it / She bad, she fat / She gon’ get a ticket / Thicker than a buttermilk biscuit…”

Laughable lyricism aside, Gibbs’ choice to feature grizzled veterans of the game allow not only for the guest MCs to shine, but help heighten Gibbs’ tonal dexterity. “Extradite,” perhaps the album’s strongest feature track, presents Gibbs commenting on the peculiar state of rap and hip-hop, at times jeering at his younger peers’ inability to remain relevant as long as someone of his own caliber. The feature verse, deftly performed by Black Thought of The Roots fame, is the album’s most politically fused, with commentary on recent race tensions and the like, all being juxtaposed by a smooth jazz beat.

Shadow of Doubt is a record that is unlikely to shift cultural dialogue or work its way into the zeitgeist, but that has never been Gibbs’ intentions. Shadow of Doubt acts simply, a rap manifesto of MC’s continual challenges to the rap game, with little to no pushback. If rap has become more emotionally deft, then it has abandoned one of its core principals – lyrical thought to shift the perspective of those who will listen. Modern rap can at times be vapid and sensitive, but not for Gibbs. Shadow of Doubt is an assertion that Gibbs is the only true aggressor who remains in the game.

Jadakiss Affirms His Legacy on 'Top 5 Dead Or Alive'

The Internet’s pervasive nature has helped society in countless ways. One “helpful” new bit of knowledge is that we as human beings seem to love lists. People waste countless hours insouciantly arguing and spewing vitriol in defense of their beliefs on which grumpy cat has the funniest ugly Christmas sweater (I died when I saw #8!!!).

So as one might imagine when Billboard released their “10 Greatest Rappers of All Time” in early November, there were the given masses that disagreed with how certain “locks” were left off the list. Granted, there was sure to have been plenty of politicking amongst the Billboard staff on which rapper included might cause the most pushback amongst readers (looking at you Kendrick), but perhaps the publication’s biggest blunder was the exclusion of the original Ruff Ryder of hip hop, Jadakiss.

Whether or not Jadakiss had any actual knowledge of Billboard’s inconsiderate omission of his body of work to the list is certainly in question. Luckily, Jada has taken it upon himself to inform the masses that there’s no need for his inclusion in a “Top 10” article because he’s released his self-asserting and all-time affirming, Top 5 Dead or Alive.

T5DOA serves as Jada’s fourth solo album, and his first since 2009’s The Last Kiss, though Jada has released a mixtape and a handful of singles during his six-year major release hiatus. After little to no prodding from 105.1 FM’s The Breakfast Club, Jada claimed that T5DOA was “something to enjoy your holiday festivities, your Thanksgiving, your Black Friday shopping, get into your Christmas feeling… all the way to Easter.” Jada continues to share his inspiration in the interview, stating that his inspiration for the album came stemmed from his time in the '90s, coming up with Notorious B.I.G, Nas, Eminem, and the fact that those “greats” had shown him proper respect as peers.  

Jadakiss showcases his verbal versatility on T5DOA, with little to no need for the theatrics and histrionics purveyed by today’s other popular hip-hop artists. The first track, “First 48,” is a beautiful narrative from an emcee opining about his hip hop prowess with lines like “They love to hear the don speak / That’s because the dialogue ain’t within arm’s reach,” further asserting his place on the Mount Rushmore of rappers.

T5DOA is set up like an old-school hip-hop record, with skits popping up intermittently throughout, but features the brazen bravado that’s become so popularized by the likes of Drake and Kanye West. The album is a departure for Jada, with some particularly uncharacteristic beats that force Jada to stretch his lyrical musings in more involved manners. “You Can See,” featuring Future is equal parts trap music and classic Jada bars that carries one of the original Ruff Ryders into the modern age of hip-hop.

The features on T5DOA further cement Jadakiss’ versatile foray into the modern hip-hop canon. Artists like Future, Diddy, Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, Styles P, and Jeezy seem to span the spectrum of 2000s hip-hop standards, with Jada continually bringing the fire. Each feature shows some sort of new vein of Jada’s classic flow and cadences, “Ain’t Nothin’ New” feels more like a Ne-Yo or Nipsey Hustle track that happens to feature Jadakiss, rather than 48 bars from Jada with a harried chorus thrown together by the other two.

Ruff Ryder fans can rejoice as well, though there is no full-blown reunion track, Styles P and Sheek Louch both feature on the album. “Synergy” featuring Styles P is one of the albums throwback tracks, with Jada and P exchanging verbal couplets over a Just Blaze beat. “Realest in the Game,” featuring Young Buck and Sheek Louch is perhaps the most aggressive track on the album, with Buck, Sheek, and Jada all assessing their streetwise power; think 2005 G-Unit (Young Buck).

Granted, Jadakiss has never quite experienced the same Top 40 success as his other rap counterparts, but he always managed to carve out his own sort of “street life trepidations” and was never really challenged. That is not the case in T5DOA. Jadakiss may be the closest thing to a “rapper’s rapper,” and T5DOA serves as Jada’s self-celebratory, cocky assertion of his staying power in the rap game, having managed to come out with another “banger” after six years of top line silence.

Watch a Basketball Team Gorilla Mascot Steal Your Girl in Tame Impala's "The Less I Know the Better"

Seeing the girl of your dreams holding hands with some guy, or basketball team gorilla mascot, named Trevor may not be "the greatest feeling ever," but watching the new music video for Tame Impala's "The Less I Know The Better" might well be one of them.

You can't really go wrong when directed by delightful Spanish collective CANADA, who have been making some of the most brilliant music videos in recent years from El Guincho's "Bombay" to Battles' "Ice Cream," and their work with this Currents classic is no exception.

CANADA drench the Australian indie darlings' groovy bassline wallop and sultry croons in their quintessentially quirky and colorful aesthetic for a trippy and stimulating experience bound to rival preceding music video "Let It Happen" in those near-encroaching year-end lists.

This love triangle tale of man and ape is a particularly sexual and surreal short film even for them, and it's safe to say the more you watch the better.

A Guide to Finding the Best Headphones for Your Money

In recent years it’s become harder and harder to find headphones that allow you to listen to music the way it’s meant to be heard, as more and more audio gear is made with heavy bias. The iPod explosion contributed to a saturated market for headphones, and so many companies felt the need to differentiate their products based on creating a unique sound. Unfortunately, this trend has made it much more difficult for purists to enjoy music in the best way possible - the way the artist originally intended for it to be heard.

Headphones that are unbiased may not sound very impressive when you first try them on in a shop. However, just like a good wine, you will notice that they provide more subtle details to every single track in your library in time, and that they aren’t horrible for listening to certain genres or more complex tracks, as biased equipment can often be. If there is bass or treble in the actual track, you will hear it in all its genuine texture and crispness, and if there is NOT, then you won’t have it added to the music in a bombastic, bloated manner, distracting you from the essence of the music. If you’re coming from sub-par headphones, it can be an unusual experience, but it will grow on you.

There are still headphones in every price range that were made with the goal of achieving this transparency, and we have reviewed and sorted them below by price range and in-ear v. over-the-head categories.

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UNDER $50

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In Ear:
VSonic VSD1S ($49)

VSonic came into the audio world with a splash, and provides a wide range of headphones, from the cheap yet quite clean sounding VSD1S to the more expensive products like the GR07. This particular model is the best you can do for an in-ear headphone at this price. For those on a budget, this will handle everything you throw at them.

Headphones:
Sony MDR ZX100 ($32)

If you’re looking for strong headphones for this price range, Sony has your back. They make the most well balanced and clean sounding headphones that won’t break the bank.

 

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$50–150

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In Ear:
Sure SE 215 ($99)

Ah, Sure. They’ve done an amazing job with their in-ear monitors, and the SE215 is the first place you start to see a good dual driver earbud. These are also the first balanced armature headphones on the list. Balanced Armature drivers are smaller, and produce a more accurate sound, but across less pitch. Sure got around that by sticking two balanced armatures in each earpiece. One for the highs, and one for the lows, contributing to a nice clean sound, with plenty of detail to boot.

Headphone:
AKG ATH M50X ($150)

If you search around online it's not hard to find a lot of people who really love the ATH M50X. They are an improved model of the ATH M50, and are most people’s
gateway drug into audiophilia. Comfortable and noise cancelling, they also have excellent sound quality. If you're the type to close your eyes and imagine your favorite band playing in front of you, this is the way to do it.

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$150–250

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In Ear:
Westone UM2 ($250)

Like Sure, Westone has done some wonderful things for in-ear lovers. Again, using a dual balanced armature system, but with better tuning and more detail, Westone creates a winner at this price point for those who want every detail in their music, from their morning commute, to their daily run.

Headphone:
Sony MDR1R ($223)

Big brother to the other MDR mentioned earlier, these headphones have some of the clearest, crispest sounding instrumentals and vocals you can find for
this price. The are also one of the first headphones in this list where you start to get some real soundstaging. The music feels 3D, and the sounds of an orchestra
will envelop you.

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$250–350

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In Ear:
Logitech Ultimate Ears 900 ($349)

Ultimate Ears was its own company until Logitech bought them a few years back. While their lower end models aren’t really anything special, the UE 900
stands out as one of the best sounding in ear headphones I’ve heard at this price. Sporting an impressive four balanced armature drivers per ear they have separate drivers for the mids, highs, and bass. The soundstaging on these is beautiful, and when you walk around, it feels like the band is following you through
space. It’s a wonderful feeling. Oh, and as an added bonus, the cables are removable.

Headphone:
Sennheiser HD 600 ($340)

Sennheiser has long been regarded as the king of headphones, until they were usurped by Audeze a few years ago. Even then, at this price range, you simply
cannot get anything better than the HD600. This is the stage where the sound you get out of MP3 files starts to feel like it’s not quite enough, so switching to some lossless audio, or more detailed sources, such as CD or Vinyl is suggested for maximum enjoyment. Keep in mind that these are open back headphones, though.
People will be able to hear what you’re listening to. But don’t worry too much - everyone will appreciate some Tchaikovsky.

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$350–450

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In Ear:
InEar StageDiver 2 ($450)

There’s a lot that could be said about German engineering, but the only thing I will say is that these are the first In Ear headphones I've heard that match the
soundstage of over-the-head headphones in their price category. There are two things that balanced armatures tend to struggle with. First, they have trouble doing
bass, and second, they have trouble with the 3D nature of sound, simply because they’re so close to your ears. The StageDiver 2 is not held back by either of these, and has two precision tuned balanced armature drivers. It
presents a beautiful sound that’s perfect for portable users, with some of the most perfectly balanced bass, mids, and highs in a 3D setting. These are the holy grail of in ear monitors.

Headphone:
Oppo PM3 ($399)

Now we’re getting into some interesting stuff. with the Oppo PM3, for the first time, we see a planar magnetic headphone under $500. Planar magnetic headphones are the “next level” of speaker technology, too big to be placed into tiny in ear units, but perfect for large headphones. The Oppos are comfortable, and
impeccably detailed. They leave nothing to chance, and just present clean, beautiful, smooth, and perfect sound. The bass is not overpowering, but it reveals texture as it goes low... so, so low. It doesn’t feel like someone is playing in your head, it feels like they’re in the room, revolving around you.

Watch Sir Paul McCartney Teach You How to Make Mashed Potatoes in 1998 Video

Paul McCartney is a talented man. He can play bass and sing and write and compose and... make mashed potatoes.

Filmed for what was his first broadcasted appearance following his wife Linda's death from breast cancer in 1998, Sir Paul treated fans to a tutorial on how to cook the traditional dish per his late partner and bandmate's recipe.

This cheeky little glimpse of a legendary Beatle doing something so pedestrian, from the talking oven mitt to the playful health tips, is as endearing as it is informative, even if it is a bit nerve-wracking to see such magical fingers to close to a knife blade.

So whether you're an expert chef or a first-timer, sit back, take notes, and enjoy. Maybe someday we'll get instructions for "Honey Pie" or "Savoy Truffle" next.

Watch Killer Mike's Fiery Opening for Bernie Sanders' Atlanta Rally

It seems Big Boi is not the only Atlanta rapper chopping it up with presidential candidate Bernie Sanders these days. Run the Jewels' Killer Mike played the role of the politician's dining companion and hype man in the Georgia capital yesterday, leading to chicken at Busy Bee and an opening speech that was, well, straight fire.

The photo of the dynamic duo indulging in some southern soul food is especially intriguing considering Sanders is around six feet tall and is still dwarfed by the rapper.

Bernie Sanders and rapper Killer Mike at Busy Bee in Atlanta. pic.twitter.com/jqOiLlMgrQ

— John Wagner (@WPJohnWagner) November 23, 2015

Killer Mike, who is an aspiring politician himself, cited Sanders' support of the Voting Rights Act and making education and healthcare American rights in his rousing endorsement of the senator which surely left Hotlanta "feeling the Bern."

"I have no time in my short 40 years on this Earth to relive the Reagan years. I have no time... to see us elect our own Margaret Thatcher," he bellowed before concluding, "In my heart of hearts, I truly believe that Senator Bernie Sanders is the right man to lead this country."

It's a little known fact that the Vermonter actually released a folk album available only on tape cassette back in the '80s, which begs the question, will we see a music collaboration next? In the meantime, we have this delightful photo of the pair combining to form the Run the Jewels hand gesture, which will undoubtedly be called a gang sign on Fox News in the morning.

Killer Mike, along with the other half of Run the Jewels, El-P, both featured on fellow ATLien Big Boi's recent Big Grams EP, which you can check out here.

GUM’s 'Glamorous Damage' Makes Slight Return to Tame Impala Psychedelia

On Currents, Tame Impala did away with their nimble guitar riffs in favor of exclusively bass acoustics padded with synth melodies and drum kits, creating a divide amongst those who herald the LP as the band’s best work to date and those who are lukewarm to what they consider a mild disappointment. Consequently, Tame Impala’s reception has been more divided this year than any other. These observations are not intended to call the unanimity of the praise Currents has received into question, but to note that with any change in creative direction and the expansion of an artist’s discography, new material inevitably differentiates fans as either for or against an artist’s new sound. 

Three LPs, a significant style change, and several offshoot ventures have warranted enough material for the Tame Impala fan base to be classified in a few different ways: fans of the old, fans of the new, fans that are completely bought in, and fans devoted enough to have an opinion on every Tame Impala side project (of which there are plenty). The release of Glamorous Damage by Tame Impala multi-instrumentalist Jay Watson under the moniker GUM now furthers the criteria for die-hard Tame Impala fandom while simultaneously offering glimpses of the band’s forgone style. 

Glamorous Damage is an amalgam of synth pop (think backing tracks to establishing shots of an '80s coming of age film), stadium power pop, and electronic funk. The album is mostly an up-tempo extension of the sounds explored on Currents with the occasional semblance of Lonerism melodies. Consider “Notorious Gold,” whose synth leads and power chord accents can be best described as a Lonerism instrumental at a Currents pace. If you were wondering where Tame Impala’s signature psychedelic guitars went, Jay Watson hid them on this album. 

The instrumental production is noteworthy. Consecutive tracks “Elafonissi Blue” and “Television Sick” impress with the clarity of their layered synths, percussions, and guitar riffs. The delayed and distorted vocals on these songs are vocal highlights of the album that are, unfortunately, not replicated elsewhere. The low volume of the vocals throughout this album, in addition to the distortion and delay, are both an obvious guise for Watson’s limited vocal capabilities and an acknowledgement that Watson cannot compete with Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker as a vocalist. The underwhelming vocals make the album sound as if it were the product of the theoretical situation in which Kevin Parker dies, but Tame Impala decides to keep going in his memory. 

For an album with the word “glamor” in its title and quintessentially glam rock album art, Glamorous Damage takes glam rock as more of a light suggestion than an outright influence. Had Watson incorporated glam rock’s distinctive grit into this project, it may have avoided the decline in the instrumental appeal evident in the album’s deeper cuts and fared better at sustaining listeners’ interest. While Glamorous Damage can commandingly excite a dancefloor at its funkiest moments, its inconsistency and lackluster vocals ultimately diminish it to a forgettable experience.