These reviews are stream of conscious reviews while listening to the album on vinyl:

Tyler The Creator - Call Me If You Get Lost (2021):

“Ooh, Tyler trying to scare me. These beats are like Malibu meets some sort of gangster hell. Its like driving with friends to something like this in the summer time. Right when it dropped or something. They made it and we didn’t. But it’s all good in the suburbs too and all. The songs are non sequitur between these two worlds and ideas. Like maybe I don’t want to go through what they went through to get here.

Tyler’s raspy voice leads the parade. He’s so egotistical, like a horse. But that’s fine. I couldn’t do it. Features Lil Wayne right on schedule. Group of friends. I love this gang of people, good party people, ya know? This is… trap rap but it’s not like that. It’s just hip hop, man. It’s jazzy at times but look, these songs are so contrasting with each other. So it’s hard to pick a word to even describe this trip. But it keeps the audience engaged, up and down, up and down.

Their energy is intimidating and inviting. Like you’re allowed to join their collective, if you dare. They are truly creators. Everyone who worked on this album. Producers, rappers, whoever was involved.

The bouncing synths.

You’ll never reach the answer in this album, it constantly changes. Like a cloud of thought you stumbled upon, by luck.

He boasts about his net worth. But he has feelings too.

Tyler the creator is strong. He’s a shell of a wondering person but he keeps it very real. He probably has a firm handshake. And a genuine guy.

This album was a captivating event. A little repetitive at times with the formula, but that’s okay. Maybe you were meant to just tune in and out of it, like how you just catch a train.”

- Matt McGarvey

The Notwist - Shrink (1998):

“I feel like I am in a factory. That manufactures crunchy synthesizers and moody percussion. It’s just music to chill out to when you’re just a little bit sad. Not that sad, just kinda bumming. It’s emo, being emotional, and electronic, of course. I really feel down in a good way. Like the music is telling you that’s a normal feeling. Shrink wrapped in melodic hooks. Indie, like independent. Somber, melancholic. But made on the computer. So he makes the hardware real.

Okay so now jazz too. He’s got those squeaky instruments going off in the jam. I don’t know man, it’s a mystery. The lyrics feel alone. The man is clearly alone and in some sort of personal crisis. He’s upset at what life is. The master of my feelings doesn’t have a clue either. It sounds so technical. Calculated… tired perfection.

This man sounds like he is working his back off making music in his basement on his computer while falling apart like a nihilist. He must remain optimistic. Wow dude, this is so lo fi, man. He shrugs it off. Into the ether. The singing doesn’t seem vocoded all that much, he’s speaking from his naked heart. Spending his time wisely and meticulously. Toying with his favorite instruments.

The ending really truly uplifts me. How sarcastic of an experience. Ending on a positive note. And thus finalizing us with an odd quirky robotic vocoder trance for about one solid minute or so. Leaving us really not knowing what to think anymore.”

- Matt McGarvey