WVCW is first and foremost a Music station. We love a good morning talk show, but we know our listeners and our listeners want new music. With so much access to good music these days through streaming services, internet radio, and capacity driven mp3 players and tablets, it can be difficult to riffle through the trash. This is where we come in. As a music review team, we can let you know what’s worth buying, what’s worth hearing, and what’s worth your vinyl budget.
If you want to write reviews, submit a writing sample to the General Manager, Claire Morra at hello@wvcw.org
Artist: The Game Album: The R.E.D. Album
Five years after his departure from G-Unit, The Game releases “The R.E.D. Album.” The Game, known for his hard hitting lyrics and his Compton flow, created this album over the course of the last three years. Not only was this album his “comeback”, but also the display of his collaboration with Dr.Dre’ after their parting of ways several years ago. Though Dre’ didn’t produce any tracks on this album, hit makers Cool & Dre’ as well as Mars brought their rhythmic beats and fused it with Games’ Cali flow.
The rhymes of this former G-Unit member are shrill though on many of his tracks he is being outshined by many of his friends, including Wale and Lil’ Wayne. The Game tries to fight with the best of them (other top-notch artists) but he continues to fall subpar to those featured on his album. The Games’ macho bravado is expressed on the first half of the album; his strong emotions and passion often coming across as blood thirsty. Though this may seem ruthless, that’s the cutthroat artist that his loyal fans love. They love his hard-hitting lyrics, his love for challenging other artist such as Lil B and Odd Future.
Nevertheless, the album as a whole doesn’t feel like a cohesive unit. Half of the album would be considered “New School Gangsta Rap” while the other half would be considered a mellow and “R&B” infused. Game creates tracks in which he collaborates with vocalist such as Chris Brown, Mario and Lloyd. “Speakers on Blast,” is a perfect mesh of the two extremes. The union of sounds from the West Coast & the South bring certain “swag” and bounce to the track. Rhymes from E-40, The Game and Big Boi on this track are can be described as remarkable. This is one of my favorite songs on the album alongside “All the Way Gone.” One song that needs more recognition would be “Good Girls Go Bad,” in which Drake accompanies The Game. That track speaks volumes, especially since I am a female in a male dominated industry. It’s uplifting to here a genuine song about females without them being called everything but their names.
Although Game can be redundant at times one thing is for sure, no matter what song Game releases, he is undoubtedly a storyteller. His way of bringing you into his mind and allowing the listener to relive moments that he raps about is completely refreshing. This skill is a rarity Hip Hop community with today’s artists. Thus, though this album may not be considered cohesive, it is indeed a good album.
Artist: Talib Kweli Album: Gutter Rainbow _____________________
By Deric Brown
Fresh off his critical acclaimed, album entitled Revolutions Per Minute, which he released (alongside Dj Hi Tek) under the duo “Reflection Eternal” brings forth Talib Kweli with his fourth and solo album, Gutter Rainbow. Kweli has always been known for his socially consciousness rhymes and he doesn’t stray away from it this album.
The title track Gutter Rainbow produced by M-Phases, sets the vibe for the entire album. On the track he raps: It’s the voice of the voiceless hope for the hopeless/ Spit game way to real they don’t promote it/. Which is the Kweli we are accustoming to hearing, however is only great for couple songs. However, it can be frustrating when you’re hoping to hear a little diversity or growth from a great artist such as him.
The albums’ lead single Cold Rain (Prod Ski Beats), is very reminiscent of Kweli’s Kanye West produced hit, Get by and similar to that track he raps over a gospel sample about the ills of the world.
On tracks such as Palookas (prod by marc Polo) featuring Sean Price and Uh Oh (prod Oh No) featuring Jean Grae, Kweli slightly strays away from the albums’ conscious feel and toward a street feel, he is successful but is outshined when the feature artist appear on the track.
Overall this is a decent album, but lacks diversity and fails to take creative risks. Kweli is at point of his career where he is more focused on building his “Blacksmith” record label (with acts like Strong Arm Steady and Jean Grae) than making a great album. When creating this album he chose to stick to niche, which is good if you’re not looking for anything new from this artist.
-Deric Brown
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Artist: Devin Townsend Project Album: European Tour EP _____________________
By James Phillips
Awesome and Free? Yup.
Being a massive fan of Devin Townsend’s work (whether it’s solo or Strapping Young Lad) so when he announced that he was planning on releasing a free live EP I was very excited to get my hands on it when it came out.
If there is one thing Devin Townsend is known for other than his goofball personality it is the quality of his music, this EP released on Valentine’s Day is no exception. Recorded during one of his live shows during the European leg of his first headlining tour this EP does a fantastic job of capturing the energy and goofiness of one of Devin’s live shows, from his loving insults to the crowd, to the random phrases he shouts out during the songs.
The EP starts off with “Supercrush!” which is off the 2nd Devin Townsend Project album Addicted! and even without guest vocalist Anneke Van Giersbergen, Devin does a great job with the vocals and the guitars are spot on and crushing; the following track is “Kingdom” off of his solo album Physicist and again the song is spot on and even includes a random rant about poo (yes, poo).
After “Kingdom” we come to “Truth” off of the Infinity solo album and you guess it it’s spot on as well (you can see a pattern forming here I hope) this segues into “OM” from the Christeen+4 Demos EP and it’s more or less a short instrumental that Devin takes the time to talk about random things (such as his cheeseball nature) and this finally spills into the last song by Your Command from Ziltoid the Omniscient and in true Hevy Devy fashion he ends it on a high note all while still saying completely random things during breaks in singing.
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“This EP is amazing, there’s no way around it fans of Devin Townsend will surely love it, and anyone who likes great metal with a side of cheesy humor will find this very entertaining as well, if you don’t find something you like from this EP well you take yourself too seriously.”
