I had forgotten why I quit doing these in the first place.  Time.  These take like 2 hours for me to write and come up with the words to convey how I truly feel about an album.  But life gets busy and other plans get in the way.  I'm not by anymeans done, but there's not going to be a set schedule.   2 in a week was awesome!  There's many, many albums to do and i'm going to continue writing about them when I have the time to.  So nothing new yet, only have a few minutes and then I have to focus on releasing my own EP.  

So i'll be back very soon.  Next up is going to be one of my favorite albums at the moment.  Emery - I'm Only A Man from 2007.  See you soon and wish me luck!

(2023) BLP Kosher - Bars Mitzvah

WELCOME TO MY FIRST EVER NEW MUSIC SUNDAY!!!

The first time I heard about BLP and BabyTron was how a lot of other people did, Lyrical Lemonade.  I guess i've been sleeping on up & coming rappers.  Anyways, I listened to "Mazel Tron" and became an instant fan.  It was funny because at first i'm like, is this a joke?  By the 5th listen, it was over.  I studied the whole track and learned every word.  It's been awhile since a song made me do that.  That beat went HAM, and the lyrical deliverance was definitely on point.  I've been waiting for this album to drop.  I guess it's only fitting that it's the first new album I review in 2023.  Let's do this!

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Track 01 - The Nac 3

I'm still new to BLP so I haven't sat down and listened to everything.  I know i've heard the first two Nac tracks, but off hand I don't remember them that much.  So he's definitely got an almost 90's gangsta rap sound to his beats.  His beats are dope AF.  I heard Danny Tanner.  I definitely like the piano lines.  He gets pretty fast there for a second.  Overall, not his best, but not bad.

3/5

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Track 02 - Wicked Miracle

He definitely has his own style.  So far every song i've heard of his has the same quality of lyric delivery.  I call him Pursey Jackson.  Classic.  BLP really is one of the best rappers out right now.  This track is definitely the best song so far.  This song is really to short.  The intro of the beat is really cool.  This dude is not playing.  This is not a drill.  Best track so far.

4.5/5

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Track 03 - 2000's Baby

I like the diversity of his beats so far.  I wonder if he makes his own beats or if someone else is doing them for him?  They're dope and that nana na na na part is gonna get in your head after 2 or 3 listens.  This one is dope AF too.  I'm really digging the na part.

5/5

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Track 04 - Fools Gold

Weird intro.  Not what I was expecting.  But when that drum and middle eastern type sitar comes in, that shit was awesome.  He really writes some catchy ass hooks.  I'm pretty sure the "Watttttteerrrrrrrr" is gonna be in every song at this point.  BLP is the perfect reason why you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover.  BLP is smart as fuck.  "Call me Vincent, i'll get in that van and go".

5/5

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Track 05 - Cheese Touch

This title has me rolling.  His lyrics are straight fire.  I love that you can actually understand what he's saying too.  A lot of rappers nowadays just mumble and it makes me feel like they don't even know what they wrote.  His songs are really short, but so far this album has lived up to the hype for me.  This one is definitely getting a second listen.

5/5

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Track 06 - Nightmare Up North

Ok I know the "Oh My God Ronnie".  So that answers my question from earlier.  I'm pretty sure he doesn't make his own beats but that's ok.  This is the best beat so far.  Once again his bars and knowledge of how to use them are impressive.  I like it!

5/5

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Track 07 - Special K

I know this one!  I love this track.  I could just imagine seeing this guy working at a Five Below.  Parents would be like, wtf?  This track is a banger and will definitely be one of your go-to tracks after you listen.

5/5

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Track 08 - Emo Jit

The intro to this song is FAR better than the rest.  The ha ha part is amazing.  His name drops are always on point.  This song really showcases that fact.  This song is probably gonna become a single.  I'd bet money on that shit.  Wattttttttttterrrr...

5/5

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Track 09 - J's & Z's Feat. Trapland

So far this is honestly the best rap album i've heard in a long time.  These are good songs to fly down the freeway too.  Trapland ruins the track.  Shoulda been Tron.  He woulda lit this track up.  Not bad, but not the best track on the album.  I'll probably skip this track.

2.5/5

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Track 10 - Expensive Gas

Ok.  So between this track and the last track, these are probably the weakest points on the album so far.  It's weird how a lot of great albums start off awesome, then get meh, then end awesome.  I hope it gets better from here, because this album started off very strong.

3/5

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Track 11 - Quite Frankly Feat. Luh Tyler & Trapland Pat

Man...  This track sucks.  He shoulda just went solo for this breakout album.  So far the lowest points have been the songs that feature other artists.  This track is horrible.  Just skip it.

2/5

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Track 12 - Endless Feat. DJ Premiere

The guitar styled beat really works and when he starts spitting fast, that shit hits hard.  The DJ scratching fits perfectly on this track.  FINALLY a feature that was fire.  I LOVE this track.  Best song hands down so far

5/5

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Track 13 - Miami Rainbows

The beats are coming back!  So he sings too?  This song is pretty cool.  Definitely unexpected.  The autotune was a nice touch.  This song is pretty fire.  I like the ending on this track a lot.  I think you'll like it too.  Definitely check this one out.

5/5

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Track 14 - Hawk 900

I actually watched Tony Hawk land the 900 when he did it.  That shit was crazy.  I always forget about BLP's skateboarding ventures.  He really hasn't been rapping too long.  Crazy how easy this shit is coming to him.  This song is ok.  It's not fire though.

3.5/5

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Track 15 - Open Your Mind

I swear i've heard this beat before.  This song is strange.  He goes in so many different directions that it will throw you off.  His influences seem like they range from Blink 182 to Eminem.  This song is weird, but it works.  BLP does rock.  Well, his version of rock.  Not bad.  Not bad at all.

4/5

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Track 16 - Another World

Ok this album definitely just took a strange turn.  This track and the last track sound like they belong on a completely different album.  It's almost like Blink 180 Kosher.  With tracks like this, he's gonna get HUGE.  Very 2006ish.  This track is good.

4/5

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Track 17 - Smoke To The Garden

Yeah the last three tracks definitely got Lil Peep rockish.  I love that he's breaking out of his shell on tracks like this.  His name drops are still fucking fire.  You're gonna like this one.  This should definitely be another single.  I bet it will be.  He even drops an Uncle Jesse.  He can actually sing pretty good.  BLP is something special.  He's more than his look suggests.

5/5

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Track 18 - Water To The Grave

So the end of this album sounds almost like a seperate EP that was just added to the end of the album.  These all sound very Modern Emo Rap/Rock like Lil Peep, Juicewrld, XXXtentacion, Post Malone and those kind of artists when they dabble into rock.

5/5

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Track 19 - Gravity

This song is weird as fuck.  It makes for a very weird album closer that will leave you wondering, what the fuck did I just listen to.  There's a lot to digest on this track.  I had no clue BLP sang, or apparently might go to church.  Weird turn man, weird.

3/5

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So overall this is a very solid debut album for an artist I expect to become a household name.  He was completely off the radar and completely unexpected.  It's still early, but i'd argue he already is going to be one of the greatest rappers of his generation.  There's definitely a few tracks that stand out more than the rest and I look forward to listening to it for the 15th time so I can really get a nice grasp on what I just listened to.  I wish Mazel Tron woulda been on this.  It would've been a nice addition.  Overall, very nice.

79.5/95

(1994) The Offspring - Smash

Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!  It’s been a long while!  I’ve missed this.  It’s time to run it again.  This time around, I’m really going to try to do one of these a day, at least for a year and check back on my progress come August 2024.  So let’s start with my all-time favorite album, The Offspring’s - Smash.  So back when this album came out, CDs weren’t even the thing yet.  We were still mostly listening to cassettes.  I was 11, when this album came out and my brother was 16.  My brother listened to rap and rock.  So, naturally, like most young brothers, I decided I wanted to listen to the music he listened to.  Luckily for me my parents didn’t sugar coat things too much and they let us listen to profane lyrics, regardless of what the parental advisory sticker said.  Big mistake and let me tell you why.  I was a weird kid.  Not like eating glue weird, but I had a strange obsession with profanity.  I loved saying bad words when I could get away with it and when I heard them, I would always laugh.  

So one day my parents left me home while they ran to the grocery store and my brother was at a friends house.  I was straight up Kevin McAllister for two hours.  My mom had just purchased a brand new state of the art cassette stereo playing system and I got this strange idea.  I was going to blast track number two and put the speakers up to the front door so the whole neighborhood could hear “Bad Habit”.  So I set everything up and set the music to blast.  When the part came on I wanted everyone to hear, I opened the window and proceeded to scream the words along with the song.  “You stupid, dumb shit, Goddamn motherfucker!”.  It was classic.  I closed up shop in about 3 seconds after.  It was a wonderful moment in time and to this day, I still don’t know if anyone ever heard my 2 minutes of glory.  Let’s go into why else I love this album.

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Track 1 - Time To Relax (Intro) 

This might be one of the most instantly recognizable opening tracks in 90’s rock music.  Whenever I hear this it’s like a battle cry to get ready to rock the fuck out. It never ceases to fire me up, because I know EXACTLY what’s next.  JW getting rowdy, that’s what.

5/5 
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Track 2 - Nitro (Youth Energy) 

One of my all time favorite intros to a CD leads straight into one of the most hyper head banging tracks of the 90’s.  Noodles guitar riffs on this song are amazing and when that lead comes in… Honestly it might be my favorite lead guitar part of the 90’s.  This song is fucking incredible.

5/5 
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Track 3 - Bad Habit 

So here we are.   Hahahah.  This song.  Where do you even begin?  It obviously wasn’t a radio hit but if you know who The Offspring is, you’d be pretty hard pressed NOT to know about this song.  Once again, but with the bass this time, this song is INSTANTLY recognizable within the first three notes.  That shit’s impressive.

5/5 
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Track 4 - Gotta Get Away 

Another instantly recognizable track.  One of three radio hits from this album I believe. The Offspring really had a special formula when writing and recording these songs.  This song is so good, you still hear it once or twice a day on local radio stations across the world.

5/5 

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Track 5 - Genocide 

This track has always been my favorite track off of Smash.  The raw energy of this song pumps me up every time and instantly transforms me back into 11 year old me.  I miss the 90’s a lot and music is one of the biggest reasons why.  If I could only recommend you lot listen to one track, this is the one.

5/5 
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Track 6 - Something To Believe In 

One of the lines of lyrics in this song reads, “Do you accept, what you are told, without even thinking?”.  This album was deep as fuck and songs like this really showed it off.  So many bands are influenced by Dexter’s thoughts on the government and his influence still can be heard now.  I do this weird thing where I will call different bands the children of an influential band.  To me, The Offspring are OG.  Children of them would be a band like Rise Against.  You can definitely hear those kinds of vibes in their music because of songs like this.  Still flawless.

5/5 
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Track 7 - Come Out And Play (Keep Em’ Seperated)

This might have been their biggest commercial success.  This song was EVERYWHERE.  MTV had it on constant rotation and every hour our local rock station would play one song off of this album.  As a child, this was probably my favorite Offspring song.  At this point, it’s becoming very clear why I consider this the greatest rock album of the 90’s.  This may sound crazy, but I feel like this album was better than any Nirvana album.  Remember, I have opinions and yours may significantly differ from mine.  I love Nirvana, but there’s just something magical about this record and every track to this point.

5/5 
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Track 8 - Self Esteem 

A kind of anthem for losers everywhere, this was one of The Offspring’s first mainstream successes.  As we move ahead with this review you’ll notice a trend with this album.  Almost ALL of these tracks are instantly recognizable.  This album only has a run time of 46:47.  Something like 12 minutes of that is silence, so it’s really only like a 32 minuteish album.  So far this album gets a perfect score from me.

5/5 
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Track 9 - It’ll Be A Long Time

I didn’t really like their first 2 albums.  But this one was a fucking masterpiece.  Dexter’s lyricism really shines on a few of these tracks more brighter than the other songs and this is one of the best, lyrically.  His grasp of world events and what really goes on behind the curtains are the stuff that martyrs are made from.  

5/5 
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Track 10 - Killboy Powerhead 

This is one of my least favorite tracks. But, don't get me wrong, even at their least, they're still awesome.  This track does however ruin their perfect score with me.  Ironic, the song that made it happen was a cover song.  You can almost spot the indifference immideately.  Still good, but they should have used their own song.  

3.5/5 
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Track 11 - What Happened To You?

This is the strangest song on Smash almost taking on a ska vibe.  It works though and also has its place amongst the other stellar tracks in this album.  The solo is short and to the point, but leaves a resonance in your head making you remember it almost immediately.

5/5 
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Track 12 - So Alone

This track is kind of meh.  It’s a good song and all, but just not quite as powerful and memorable as the rest.  The first half of this album is AMAZING.  The later tracks just weren’t as good.  Don’t get me wrong, a few were, but the back end of this album was lacking some.

3/5

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Track 13 - Not The One

This song had more of Dexter’s amazing lyricism of world insight at play.  When I was younger, I didn’t really understand the lyrics as much.  But now that I’ve gotten older, these lyrics  are a lot more sense and feel just as relevant as they did then, as they do now.

5/5

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Track 14 - Smash / Hidden Track

I didn’t really get into this track until early in the 2000’s.  I would usually listen to the first 8 songs then switch to something else.  It turned out to be one of the best tracks Smash.  The hidden track coulda been better, but we won’t rate that.  Just Smash.

5/5

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Overall this is one of the best, most underrated 90’s rock albums.  People remember the hits, but forget about the AMAZING album backing up those hits.  This is an example of a perfect album.  Hopefully, it will still be listened to long after I’m gone, because it definitely deserves its place as one of the greatest all-time albums.

66.5/70

End of hiatus again!

Man has the world changed since the last review I did back in 2018. We are now in the future! 2023 to be precise! Man... Covid happened, Trump happened, Biden happened... well, is still happening. War in Ukraine. A TON has happened.

I don't think I had many subscribers and that's ok. I do this to share the music that makes me excited. Whether or not anyone reads about what I think is besides the point. I'm good at not finishng my tasks when I take one on and just walking away from it when it gets boring. This time i'm going to try to keep this going.

This time around i'm going to start reviewing my favorite albums, one by one, until I cant review anymore. You're going to learn a lot about music if you read on, because i am quite literally an encyclopedia on the topic. I'm also going to do "New Music Sundays" and listen to a band ive never heard of. The last time I took this approach I was uncovering gems left and right. Basement and The Rocket Summer come to mind.

So if you stumbled upon here somehow, welcome! I'm still your host, Jack Willowbee! Let's listen to some new music together.