“The EP is much more personal and steps outside of the Cry Baby character box for a moment, which I’ve yet to do. It can be scary to be vulnerable like that in songwriting after only ever writing through a character lens prior.”

Melanie Martinez on stepping outside of the “Cry Baby” character. Interview with American Songwriter.

The After School EP is a collection of demented alt-pop songs. Despite the change in “characters,” the sound is still authentic to what is expected of Martinez. There’s a vary of unconventional melodic and playful tones while still carrying the same complexity and vulnerability in her lyrics.

Martinez fully comes for oppressive system in both the micro and macro levels. For example, in the song “Numbers,” Martinez is speaking against capitalism and how it belittles people to simply numbers within the system. She also gets personal and sings about her love life and the heartbreak that comes with it.

Stand Out Single

Brain & Hearts

Rating

4/5

Qveen Herby

Singer-songwriter Qveen Herby released her ninth EP titled EP 9. This EP follows the same pattern as her previous EPs. There are five songs which are all under twenty minutes. This will be the last of the EP series with the next drop from Qveen Herby being her debut album.

Qveen Herby sticks to what she’s now known for with this album by mixing rap, hip-hop, and R&B.

EP 9, for the most part, beams with positivity as it opens with “Mission,” a song about her triumphs and success over the previous years. It’s then followed by “Chakras,” which is calling for “good vibes only” and protecting one’s energy. It then takes a rough turn as she attempts to address several social issues in America in “Sleepwalker.” It’s weirdly tucked in the middle of her very self-centered album about her successes and seems slightly tone-deaf.

The album ends with “Farewell,” which is a reminder of the end of an era for Qveen Herby, while “Pre Roll” is her moment to bask in her moment and call out the “haters.”

This album is rather light-hearted and not that “deep” or complex. It is an easy listen for background playing.

Stand Out Single

Mission

Rating

3/5

The post Mini Review: “After School EP” and “EP 9” appeared first on Red Roll.

January

February

“Thank U, Next” was antithesis of “Sweetener.” It showed her range and depth, lyrically. In “Thank U, Next” Grande confronts the negativity with no sugar coating. She is vulnerable and honest with her audience – breaking away from that stereotypical happy go-lucky pop sound she is often associated with. Songs such as “needy” and “imagine” capture that soulful vocal ability she’s known for having with the backing of a seamless blend of electro-pop, blissful ambiance and smooth spacious trap.  Grande shows depth, while also keeping her pop fans happy with more upbeat songs such as, “make up,” “7 rings,” and “bloodline.”

March

“Billie Eilish’s album is a harmonious clashing of dance music, pop, rap and folk. Eilish’s edgy yet angst visuals only assist the album which reveals the various faucets of Eilish. Eilish is unafraid to be vulnerable with her fans and explore darker themes. The beautiful, the weird, and the self-aware all mesh beautifully as every song within the album flows into the next, despite experimenting with every song.”

April

May

June

“Chase Atlantic is unafraid of deviating from the typical generic “pop” sound. On the contrary, they successfully and unapologetically integrates a mixture of dreamy vocals, hip-hop, electronica, rock, R&B and pop.” Read further on their second album release of the year, “Phases.”

July

“Every moody song in “III” expresses her story of self-love, growth, and the power within femininity.  Every song is experimental but they come together beautifully as an album to tell the story of her growth as a more self-loving woman.”

August

“Fear Inoculum” kept true to what is most loved about Tool. Most of the songs on the album range between ten to fifteen minutes long. Almost every song goes through a range of complex but well managed drum beats, which are accompanied by the whisper-like melodies of Maynard James Keenan and driven home and juxtaposed by Adam Jones’ zig-zagging guitar licks. The only thing that the album lacked was the usual vocal flex that is done by Keenan. Don’t expect any of his usual screams on this album. This album is more “calming,” in the vocal aspect.” (Read the rest of the review here)

September

“K-12 is much more than a concept album, it is a short film. It stars Martinez, as “Cry Baby,” displaying her condensed tale of school life. The K-12 film is well produced, dramatic, kooky, bright and pastel. Despite the visuals being deceivingly innocent, much like Martinez’s lyrics, her short film is one of pain, growth, and the primitive world that is known as the educational system.”

October

November

December

It’s a very chill and relaxing “mini-album.” BoA is a Korean pop-star and falls under the K-pop category, but her songs aren’t what you hear in the mainstream. Her music isn’t distracting but instead very pleasant. Very much comparable to coffee shop music as it isn’t overly nuanced or complicated. The album gives late 90’s throwback r&b vibes. It’s very romantic with pop hooks. If K-pop isn’t your vibe this is a nice introduction.

The post An Album For Each Month of 2019 appeared first on Red Roll.

K-12 is much more than a concept album, it is a short film. It stars Martinez, as “Cry Baby,” displaying her condensed tale of school life. The K-12 film is well produced, dramatic, kooky, bright and pastel. Despite the visuals being deceivingly innocent, much like Martinez’s lyrics, her short film is one of pain, growth, and the primitive world that is known as the educational system.

The album features, much like her first album, a childlike innocence. In her opening song, it mixes the sounds of the “Wheels on the bus” with her not so innocent lyrics about passing the joint. From there it progressively gets more serious as Martinez grapples with criticism, bullying from her classmates, dealing with signs of depression, and acceptance of her female body (seen in the song, Strawberry Shortcake). Despite the grim lyrics her sound is still a mixture of “poppy” electronic with slight spook that is accompanied by her whispery vocals.

K-12 is well executed, both the feature and the album itself. And if you’d like to see the album played out in person, you can very soon. On Sept. 8, Martinez announced on Twitter her official tour dates for the K-12 tour.

You can find out more about the tour here: http://www.melaniemartinezmusic.com/#tour

Stream “K-12” the album on Spotify.

The post Exploring Melanie Martinez’s Album, “K-12” appeared first on Red Roll.