Skip-Through Review 8-21-26
Here we go! Last batch of albums from August 2026!
It’s been super fun and encouraging to put these out every week. There has been moments where I didn’t think I was going to stay on it, but I pushed through and made it happen. I’ve been working hard on some more official looking elements of the blog. New logo for this series, merch ideas, event ideas, the whole thang.
This week we had some really great releases. I know that a few of these projects have some BANGERS that will deff be thrown in a consistent rotation.
I hope you all are enjoying these posts so far. Hit me up if there is an album that I should try and get physical copies of for a full review.
Thank you for reading through these posts!
Denzel Curry, Kenny Beatz — ii
Ooooo, this gotta be heat. Very excited for this tape.
Cover is a fly little air brush painting of someone looking through their jewelry. Great soft glowy painterly look. These guys are bringing Hip-Hop back with this shittt! I really love the sound of the production on this album. Very easy listening, but also if you lock in, Denzel Curry is spittinnn.
Very versatile album, would love to sit with it more thoroughly.
8/10
Skilla Baby — The Price Of Fame
The cover is a fly portrait. I love that they had Skilla be the center of attention on the cover even tho it cut the other guys off. Show’s who is the star of this shit fr.
Yo this is a tapeeee! The beat switch on “For Sure” is insane. “Show Me Love” is a vibeee! I absolutely LOVE the fact there are skits on this album. BRING BACK THE SKITS!
I gotta cop this album. It’s giving all the correct vibes.
7.5/10
Jorja Smith — What Are The Odds
Super glamorous cover. Would be an amazing vinyl to have. A Jorja Smith dance album can’t do anything other than bump fr. Yo, every song on here is great. I really love the way this album flows.
I really would love to buy this CD or Vinyl.
8.5/10
Fatt Smaxk — Smaxk Season 3: Banks House
This art work is little more simple, but still looks super dope. I love the way the text looks. 41 songs is insane tho haha. Let’s see how this goes.
I’m like 15 songs in and have yet to really hear anything too crazy… Disk 1 is sorta slower, Second disk has a little more Rap energy to it.
Only song I really like is “4 Oz” on disk 3.
4/10
Rapsody — God Gotta Afro & Gold Hoops
What a title. What a fucking cover. Rapsody is really queen of this shit. Im excited for this album.
Yo, the instrumentals are insane. I love the variety of instruments they are using here. Rapsody really be spittin. I love her delivery. Everything she is saying has such passion and energy behind it.
Man.. What a tape. I will be getting this album for sure. Incredible.
8.5/10
diamond*— BLING BOI EP2: HOSTED BY DJ HOLIDAY
Very groovy looking cover. Some heavily layered, digital collage work.
Yo, idk what I just listened to. The first song was alright, then it just faded away for me haha.
5/10
Witchforce — Witchforce
Banger of a cover. Album starts with a very Dio sounding Metal track. I love this sound when it comes to Metal. Idk what the sub-genre would be, but I can listen to this music all day. Give me something to sing out loud fr. The band is going absolutely insane also. Really fun album.
8/10
The Afghan Whigs — Soft Control
Super trippy cover, I can’t really tell whether it’s real or not. Like real animals. Super cool tho. The music of this album is sorta quiet, and the lyrics aren’t at all really compelling. Sorta bored listening to this.
4/10
Maleigh Zan — the summer that never ended
The cover is simple but looks super fun. Makes me think that this album will be a vibeee! Alycia is on this album?? Might have to give this one a 10 off rip haha. Wait…
This album is actually crazy.
8.5/10
Kojo Funds — HELLO IT’S ME AGAIN
I really love this cover. I think it’s the font and colors they have goin on here. This is a nice tape. Nothing too crazy. 6 songs, 15 min. It’s quick and it takes you to a few places. But it doesn’t spend enough time in each space for me to really be sold.
6.5/10
Untitles With Drums — Made Flesh
This cover reminds me of a book series that I really like. It looks like Lord Loss from the Demonata series. I love it. Looks so dark and sad. I fuck with the sound of this album. It’s very mid 2000s Alt-Metal or something. I could see the music videos of them singing in the rain storm. Some Matrix apocalypse shit.
7.5/10
Weezer — Weezer (Gold)
20th album is wild. I am here for the gold celebratory cover design. Idk what it is about these guys, but I do love the music they put out. The singers voice and that high pitch electric guitar. Still making music with the same youthful energy as they’ve always had. I like “We Might as Well Be Strangers” feat. Wednesday.
Fun album, showing us a little into their mind as they are this late in their career.
6.5/10
Nightly — BASEBALL IN AMERICA
Cute cover. Simple, but a fun concept. The sound of this album is very high energy radio type music. A lot of “American vibes” here. Idk how I feel about it. Yeah, I don’t like it haha. I know there is a group of people that are into this guy.
5/10
Cleo Sol — Gentlewoman
Cover is a beautiful photo of a woman holding a baby. It could be showing Cleo is in a place where she is matured, but maybe feeling alone at this point of her life.
Sounds of this album are soft and sweet. I can space out to this album while I lay out at a park or something. I am feeling such peace listening to this. “Force of Love” brings a little more energy and it works perfectly.
Such a lovely album. I’ve been loving this new R&B that’s been coming out lately.
8/10
Lilyisthatyou — FROM THE GARDEN I GREW
Really cool photo and edit for this cover. The first song has this heavy electric pop style sound. Very alt-girly pop. This is for cute girls who pretend to smoke cigarettes fr.
6/10
Malachy Breen — Beauty Will Save The World
This cover looks like they are performing in a liquor store or something. I love it. First song, “Amalie”, is great too. Followed by what might be my favorite track “two glasses”. Super fun song about trying to figure out life. I really love this album! Super fun indie rock type vibes. These songs need to be in a movie like Juno or something.
8/10
$NOT — HIGH + RISK
This cover is sickkkk! Air brushed shineee. I love it. I love the chill vibe of this guys flow. “GET+OUT+MY+WAY” is a bangggerrr! Man, this album has such a dark energy to it. Whole time I was listening to this, I had a stankkk face. Lots of heavy beats. Dark, mellow vocals.
Really liked this album.
7.5/10
Adam Newling — The Bloody Unknown
I really love the colors of this album. The image is soft and cool. Beautiful font choice and a color that stands out beautifully over the grassy green. This guy has a great scratchy singing voice. This is some Mumford & Sons type folky country vibe. “Headstart” is a fun anthem. All the songs have some of the expected banjo paced tunes.
Over all a fun album. Can’t complain really.
6/10
Speed Stroke — Damage Control
An airplane held up by chains, biting its own wing off. Yeah, idk what’s going on, but I guess it’s Metal. This is like Hair Metal, and I am here for it. Big neon lights vibes here. Every song on this album is a ballad. It’s almost.. too Metal. I need to grow my hair out and steal some of my girlfriends glitter make up.
6.5/10
The della kit — Dreams Speaking in Colour
Such a lovely cover for this album. Beautiful shot of the singer surrounded by a whole bunch of flowers. Her voice is so warm and vibrates my brain. This album reminds me of the R&B that I’d listen to growing up. I really love the tracks, “Falling Stars” and “City Came Back”.
Really think this is a great tape. Would love to hear more from her.
7.5/10
The Game — The Documentary III
A great photo and cover to add to this saga of music. Ayooo! What a start to an album! The beat on “Geezus” is insane. Wow. Had to listen to the whole first song. Not gonna lie. Game is on a rampage. Now, this album has 24 songs, let’s see if Game can make it happen.
I kinda love this idea of “remixing” or sampling? Idk, but taking an old song and refreshing it like how Game did on “Love It or Hate It”. This man Game got a GOOD Lil Wayne verse?? Man… And every beat has been insane.
“Party At Game’s”?!?! Feat. PND?? Yeah wtf. HITS. “That Part” with a crazy roster of features and a wild “Back to the Hotel” sample.
Album was really good. I would love to do a full review of all 3 of the Documentary series.
8.5/10
Yung Bleu — Bleu Vandross 4
Very fly cover. Super clear image. Almost feels over rendered. I might be used to seeing this retro film look for covers lately, so seeing this super clean high quality image is wild to me. Now something about this album has a much better sound to me. I keep using the Jaquees album as reference, but something about that album was just super off to me. Sounded super electronic. Like no live instrumentation was used or something. This album sounds electronic too, but still has some of that authentic warmth. I really like “Skip That Part” and “Yacht Club”.
7/10
Casper TNG — Draft Day
This cover is whatever really. Looks like some cheep Photoshop work. Edits with a “canvas” filter over it. Not really my sound for this tape. Something with his delivery. I do like the second half of “Die 2 Young” feat. 100Bandplan.
4.5/10
Brandon Flowers — THRASHER
Love this cover. Black and white photography is the cheat code in my book, but even beyond that, this is a dope photo. Timeless looks. This was labeled as “Alternative”, but this is some super twangy Country music if I’ve ever heard it.
I really like the song “Paradise”. This sound of Country music is what I love. Very George Jones, Merle Haggard.
Very cool approach to a very classic sound.
7/10
Sam Smith — Hazel Eyes
Very nice photo of Sam laying on someones chest. Lil “hazel” color filter over the image. He is a lovely singer. The sound of this album is super lowkey. Lots of acoustic guitars and background hums. It almost feels like a gospel albums instrumentations. Songs like “When He’s Gone” and “Love Is A Stillness” have this very soft preachy sound. Not it a bad way. Like “Oh Mother” feat. The TwoCity Chorus, is an amazing example of him going crazy in this gospel bag.
6/10
DESTIN CONRAD — ROADRUNNER
Very fun cover of him laughing. I really love to Road Runner logo they have on the cover. I really love this R&B/ Reggae mix that this album has. Bouncy instrumentals behind these beautiful lyrics and flows. “NERVOUS” is a banger with a crazy Chinese sample. Ends the album with a dope lil cover with “TURN ME ON”.
6.5/10
Mick Jenkins — Type Shit - EP
Very simple idea for a cover. Very well executed too. Not sure I’ve ever really listened to Mick Jenkins, but he’s sittin. I wonder why artists drop EP’s instead of just working towards an album. He’s going insane on “Brown Recluse”.
7/10
Victony — STARLIFE
Throw some jewelry on a baby photo and call it a cover. I am here for these haha.
Tape has a really fun sound that most of the Afrobeats music I’ve heard so far has. I really like “SLICK”, such a cool lil beat. Makes you need to move.
Overall a coo tape. Nothing super super life changing.
5.5/10
GB — Herzsprung
Love this simple but beautiful layered collage cover. This album is very warm, but cold at the same time. I need to listen to this album in the car when it’s raining. It all sound very beautiful.
7/10
Queenie — Pleasance
Very beautiful studio portrait of Queenie. I love the sound of her voice. It’s super soft and almost sounds like it is just barely floating over the instrumentations of the album. “I Can’t Let Me Forget About It” is a super beautiful song. Her singing is incredible on this song. “Heavy” is also a very beautiful track.
7.5/10
Bayside — Bark At The Moon - EP
This is a goofy cover. I really like it tho. It is fun. To find this album, I scrolled all the way to the bottom of the “new music” page. They are giving me some Warped Tour vibes and I am super here for it. “(Pop)Ular SciencE” is a cool perspective about where the music industry is today. “Moceanu” îs a dope song as well. I’ll have to keep tabs on this band.
6.5/10
Johnny P — Jump And Spread Out
What a classssssic looking cover. I would love to find this in a random vinyl bin or something. Classic straight up Reggae energy on every track here. I really like the title song “Jump And Spread Out” and “Girl Them Nice”.
6/10
The Lazy Eyes — Cheesy Love Songs
Very simple cover, could have been better executed. Each of these songs have such a warm and full sounding group of instrumentals and vocals. It sounds like I am in the room with them playing. “How Does It Feel To Be In Love?” Is a really lovely song. It takes you on a little journey. Really love the way they start every song with their lil count down.
Super fun album, I really love this sound. Should do some research and hear some more of their stuff.
7.5/10
K-Trap — TRAPO 2
Very very cleannnn black n white cover. Very dark and menacing. There is just something about the beat selection and Traps delivery that I am just not a super big sound of. Lyrics are there, but something about how it sounds just isn’t hittin for me.
5/10
