Skip-Through Review 8/28/26
New weekend means new music, which also means that we’re back with it!
Let me start by saying how HYPED I am that the first episode of the Skip-Through Review Recap Mix is being so well received! I had a lot of fun working on it, and am even more excited to see what becomes of it in the future. Still playing with the logo and how I am going to present everything for the site, but we’ll keep rockin regardless.
This weekend provided a lot of really sick unique sounds from a variety of artists. Way more lowkey than last month. I am curious to see how the sounds and music being released shift with the seasons.
Hope yall enjoy my short thoughts. It’s been really cool being able to find such a wide variety of music and share it with everyone.
If there is ever an album that I miss, don’t hesitate to reach out and let me know! I’d love to make time to check out the new stuff!
And of course if there is a request for a physical album, I’d love to order a copy and make it happen!
Hope yall have a great one, enjoy the reviews, and I hope yall find some new shit!
E-40 — Turning My Money Over (Quadruple Album)
I was nervous to start this weekend with a 2 hour long album haha. But shit, it’s 40, so here we are!
Young 40 on the cover with a crazy “got caught red handed” pose haha. 40 is still spittin. This man hasn’t lost a step since the 80s. He’s still very much so in his bag when it comes to his pen, I just really wasn’t feeling this project. It didn’t feel like there was much of a direction. Just sorta a collection of songs.
As a casual listener and fan of 40, I am sure you can just put this on a vibe, but I really couldn’t pick out a favorite from these songs.
6/10
Headie One — MMM
This cover is some super geometric dark sculpture looking thang. I like it haha.
Headie has such a specific sound that I fuck with. His lil “su su su” thing is a vocal stim frfr. I like the mellow vibe that he has on his songs. “Open Top” feat. Nemzzz is a banger, and I also really like “What You Wanted”.
Coo tape, nothing insane tho.
7/10
Fat Joe — Organized Rhyme
Alright.. I lowkey love some NY rap shit, so this tape might be it. I love the cover. Black and white photo vibes.
“THE AROMA” has a great chorus, great verses. We can never underestimate a Kiss verse. This man can rap like he invented it. Whole tape has some classic east coast pacing to it, very solid complete album. “Set Of Keys” has an INCREDIBLE Pusha T verse. Push been putting out heat these last few years, a real resurgence.
This album was good! I enjoyed the flow of it, the songs all sounded like they complimented each other.
7.5/10
Erykah Badu, The Alchemist — Before The World Blows
I mean… Y’all know how I feel about a black and white cover. It’s heat. Now what y’all might NOT know is that I am HYPED for this album. I am really looking forward to it. Such a weird mix of vocals and instrumentals. It’s really like Al and Ms. Badu are just doing whatever and making some of the funkiest sounding tracks ever. Like, the crazy sound of “Witch Doctor” is a perfect example of some wild shit that sound sick. “Valentine” feat. DRAM is a banger.
Yeah. Love this album. Need it. Thank you.
9/10
Rod Wave — Don’t Look Down
Quite the dramatic cover choice haha. Nah it’s good tho, he’s in his Sunday best.
Rod Wave and his R&B/Rap vibe has always been solid to me. Not all of his music hits, but the ones that do, really hit fr. Like, “Hustle” on this album, is a bangerrr. I feel like Rod Wave really embodies the “Trap Soul” genre.
It sorta sounds like the levels of the second half of the album drop out. Like it sounds quieter than the first part. Also this guys beat selection is wild, some crazy acoustic and like 80s pop sounding samples. “Florida Boy” is a really fun and unique song. The beat is insane lowkey and I really enjoy his flow here.
6.5/10
flowerlove — MINI SKIRT WARRIOR
Cover art is a cute little photo from a zebras perspective? Haha idk. It’s nice tho.
“In My Victoria’s Secret” is a GREAT first song. Such a fun bouncy song. This is such a fun style of Pop music. It isn’t overly sterile, still has tons of personality. “Don’t Even” is super fun.
I really enjoyed this album. Super fun Pop bangguhhh!
8/10
Sara Bareilles — Good Grief
Cover is simple, nothing wild. Sorta like the album haha. Jk, nah, but this really isn’t for me. It is labeled as pop, but there is no… Pop? It is just like some Taylor Swift shit. Idk how else to describe it haha
3/10
Busta Rhymes, J Dilla — DILLAGENCE II
Simple cover. Nothing crazy. But with something as heavy as a J Dilla release, you let the music speak for itself.
“How The Boss Will Deliver” is a craaaaazzy start to this tape. What a beat. And lowkey the best that Busta has sounded in yearsss. The beats on this album are insane. But y’all knew that. Sometimes I can be exhausted of Busta’s flow, but he does a decent job of keeping in a good bag throughout the album.
Was a fun tape, had a few classic sounds on it, but I wish it coulda been better.
6.5/10
Lakshmi — Here, I Am Alone with You
Simple cover, beautiful photo. For a black and white cover, it’s sorta boring haha
The overall sound of this album is very airy and light. I really enjoy her voice. “Sun Into Color” is a fun song that balances a solid instrumental with the singers softer vocals. “The Way You Left” is a lovely song that you can just close your eyes and vibe to.
This album is good. It has some lovely singing and some uber soothing instrumentation.
6/10
Ryan Mack — Better Late Than Never
Idk how I feel about this cover. The glow has some weird unauthentic feeling to it.
“Irish Goodbye” is a super fun poppy Irish track with a cute story. “I Swear To You” is a really lovely song as well.
This album overall has a good sound, but just doesn’t feel like it paces itself out really well. It’ll bounce from slow to fast to slow again. Not really giving me any signs of intention.
6/10
Surf Trash — No Chaser
Cover is a photo of maybe where they kick it? Nice glowy shot of the house. Everyone chillin out front.
I really love the sound of the guitar on these songs. Almost a muffled like softness to it. Other than that, the album is fine. Nothing too insane about how it sounds or whatever.
5/10
Skyscraper Stereo — Not from There
Super interesting heavy contrasty black and white cover here. Love it. Haha Nah, but it is cool. I’d be curious to know why they chose the images.
“Run It Back” is a superrrr vibey song. I need to be on a beach somewhere with this song. I really love the song “Shootah Dem (Acoustic Remix)”, such a beautiful sounding track with a sick flow over just a guitar.
6.5/10
Overnight — ghostland forever
This cover is some super low quality blown out image of someone. Very ghosty fr.
This guy has such an interesting sound, some like high pitched speed singing or something. This album is lowkey giving me brain rot vibes haha. “Bleeding w/kxll” is a dope mix of some deep tap beats at the singers normal alt-pop vibes.
6/10
Breadwinner Kane — Boss Talk (Nation Business)
Classic rap cover. Jewelry. Money. Don Julio. The works.
The sound of this album is defiantly that slow southern rap. I just don’t think that any of these songs are interesting. The instrumentals aren’t really hitting. The vocal delivery isn’t really hitting. It’s really a whatever project.
4/10
Young Stoner Life, Young Thug — Slime Language 3
Fun cover, looks like the whole gang of people are in the photo. I love that on each of these Slime Language albums, they have everyone there for the cover.
I don’t really know what’s going on here. The beats sound all over the place, the flows are just as chaotic. Not until “Tezzus & diamond*” feat. Teezus, Quavo, diamond* & Cash Cobain do I even hear anything that I can say that I enjoy. With so many different personalities, I feel like this album just sounds all over the place tbh. I really like the last song “What It Do” feat. Unfoonk. 41 songs is insane. Feels like a waste of an album tbh.
4.5/10
Alex Warren — WILDCHILD
Love this cover, looks like he is jumping through the sky.
Album starts off super strong with “EMERALD EYES”, high energy and no fuss. Just right into the madness. “PASSENGER” is a dope track as well. Good lil sing-a-long type track. “ONLY THING LEFT” is a beautiful song about settling with the idea that maybe you just can’t go on in whatever relationship or whatever you have going on. A really lovely salad of sorts.
Album is coo. It feels fine. I am not obsessed with it, but there is a few cool songs.
6/10
YNW Melly — Collect Call II
Welp, cover is like a detective board sorta tracking Melly’s situation. There isn’t really a lot to a lot of these songs. I almost liked “Casket” feat. King Von & Fredo Bang, but I really just didn’t enjoy Melly’s contribution to the song. I do like “Switcharoo” feat. Hotboii, coo lil R&B type track. I really think that Melly really shines when he is in his singing bag.
Nothing really to write home about with this album.
5.5/10
Interpol — This Mirror Weighs a Ton
A surveillance camera chandeler is sorta crazy tbh. Interesting cover choice. I wonder if it has any relation to the albums topic matter.
The album has a very monotone sound to the singing that sorta makes me lose the music. I don’t really find my attention again until “Darling Thoughts”.
Album is fine. It just doesn’t sound super interesting to me.
5/10
Vory — DONDADA
Very dramatic image of him standing in-front of a window showing the world burning outside.
Not a super interesting album tbh. I was excited about the 2 Chainz feature on “RELAX”, but even that song was sorta a miss for me.
4/10
Jay Worthy, George Clinton, LNDN DRGS — Generation P
Cover is a coo lil homage to George Clinton.
These songs sound like they just really wanted to use these classic funky samples, but they didn’t really know what to do with them. Sorta just doesn’t feel like it fits as well as I’d wish that it would have.
4/10
SAINt JHN — If Tomorrow Never Comes
Cover is a really funky looking painting of SAINt JHN. Love the bold red and heavily shadowed features.
I really like the sound of his voice on these songs. “Better To Be Friends” is a fun stand out song. The instrumental is dope and the energy he’s singing with is really solid. The album as a whole is fine. I just wasn’t really feeling anything special from the project as a whole.
6/10
Majid Jordan — Two Roads
Little duality vibes here with the cover. Two roads to ride on, dark and moody, light and floaty.
“Cold” is a really spacy vibe. I really like the sound of their voice over the bouncing instrumental. “Rather Be With You” is a really nice 80s Pop/R&B type track. It’s reminding me a lot of the sound the the Weeknd kinda shoots for, jus not sang as well as he would have.
5.5/10
Ken Carson — experiment - cartunez
Cover art is someone being absorbed by their phone? Like it’s a dementor taking your joy out of you or something haha.
I don’t really listen to any Rage artists, so this is a newer world for me. It has a very digital almost Metal vibe. Not really what I look for. It just sounds chaotic to me. Even metal music seems to have more of a familiar pace to it than this does. A few of the more tame songs grabbed my attention tho.
6/10
BashfortheWorld — Dinero. Dolores y Dios. (Vol. 2)
I like this photo for the cover. A real dope perspective of someone who really works hard, maybe on a break or something.
“Free Lunch Baby” has a dope instrumental and solid energy from the artist. Other than that song, I just feel like nothing super interesting is happening with this tape. I almost like the song “Rich Migos” feat. OHGEESY, but something about t the song just doesn’t fully resonate with me.
6/10
Alabama Shakes — I Must Be Dreaming
Really love the red on this cover. The lil window looking into the other side or something. Nice textures as well.
Ooooo! “Garden” is a cold cold trackkkk! Very beautiful song. I am loving the sound of these songs. I haven’t listened to Alabama Shakes really before this. This album has a very classic sound to it. Most of these songs are dancing around the topic of love it seems, sorta like a Bluesy/R&B/Rock type vibe. The nasty guitar solos on “Waist Deep” are insane.
This album is pretty solid. I think it is super original sounding when compared to everything I’ve been hearing lately. I’d be interested to hear more.
7/10
Dahi — Black Boy (Alternative)
A very nice portrait for the cover of this album. Nice textures in the background and fit. I guess this guy is a DJ and Producer, so I’m not sure if he is rapping or singing on here or just producing. There are quite a few features, so we will see.
Overall the album is cool. The sounds of everything is great. Instruments and vocals. I just didn’t really gravitate to any one song on here.
7/10
Lancey Foux — THE TIME OF OUR LIVES
The cover is a dope photo of him and some ladies partying, but with heavy contrast and a blue filter over it. The beat on “TO THE MONEY” feat. Finessekid is lowkey wild. The flow on “ALL THE TIME” is lowkey crazy. I feel like most of the instrumentals on this album almost hit. Like they all sound good enough, but I was really ready for them to turn up, but they never did.
5.5/10
CORTIS — GREENGREEN_playextended
Not really familiar with any K-Pop, so this will be exciting. They all look pretty cool. More like “K-Alt Rock” fr fr. The instruments on “ACAI” go pretty crazy. No, no, no, the instrumental on “PACK IT UP” is actually insane. There is this background wobble that is super fun. I feel like the lyrics on this album are just a little too repetitive for me to really enjoy it fully.
6/10
CZARFACE, Frankie Pulitzer — Czarface Meets Frankie Pulitzer
Y’all already know that CZARFACE is going to have a sick fuckin album cover. Easy.
“That’s Law” has a harddd instrumental, and the verses over this sound are also grimy as hell. And of course once we get to “Mad Technology” feat. Method Man, I was hyped. Meth is really undefeated, always so sick to hear him step out and rap. The verses on “Frankie” are smooth as hell, some wild rhymes and the beat is saucy too.
An album like this can be played A-Z and studied for years.
8/10
half-alive — Billions
This cover is sickkk! Looks like it might be painted over the image of this office building or something. A love of great comments on our current social-political issues. I really like “The Wolf”. I enjoy the distorted muffled sound of the singers voice. It gives them space to really yell the lyrics. I like that this EP was short but concise. Sometimes I’ll listen to a shorter project and there isn’t any really topics or themes linking the few songs. I love to see that even with the short list, they still kept everything familiar on the tape.
7.5/10
Beartooth — Pure Ecstasy
Veryyy badass looking cover. And man, a great sounding band too haha. Maybe it’s just nostalgia talking, but I really love this sound. This album is listed as “Rock”, but it is specifically that Warped Tour/Emo ish type vibe that is unbeatable. It isn’t anything groundbreaking really, but man is this a fun sounding project haha
5.5/10
Night Lovell — MY BLOOD AS THE INK
Superrr gnarly cover for this album. I am very interested in what is going to come from this. It’s sounding very aggressive and heavy. I’ve been wanting to see if we can start diversifying the Rap/Hip-Hop genre, like this is like some dark heavy rap that should be in a category of it’s own. Reminds me of some of the guys that hung out with Xxxtentasion n shit.
I enjoy this type of rap really. It is a dope mix of punk/metalish and rap.
6/10
G.T. — 777
The cover for this album is a painting showing a glow up maybe? Trap on the left, mansion on the right.
The flow on “Lean & Linguini” feat Babyface Ray is cleannn. That classic Detroit bounce through and through. I love the hyper cocky energy that G.T. delivers on “FTW” feat. Big Sean. Been a min since I’ve heard a fuego Sean verse too, so that was refreshing. You get a similar fly energy from “Michigan Made” feat. Payroll Giovanni.
I like this tape, had some dope tracks honestly.
7.5/10
GIA — You Bound
A very beautiful image as the cover. The sound of the music is very balanced. GIA has a great ability to slow down or speed up the pace of the music. I love the versatility. The title track “You Bound” is a banger, almost a happy medium of both vibes she can dip into.
Very nice album. GIA has a lovely voice throughout the tape.
6/10
