4 Stars

Music fans were met with a surprise drop from the multi-faceted Childish Gambino last week. His new project “3.15.20” has been a few years in the making and the result is a record shrouded in mystery. The album cover is blank and only two tracks have real titles, while all the rest have timestamps for names corresponding with where they appear on the album, and the whole thing feels like an amalgamation of the artist’s work to this point.

From a presentation point of view, “3.15.20” is most reminiscent of Gambino’s sophomore output “Because, The Internet” with its distorted cover, numbered song titles and the computer-distortion of the production, which also reminds me of Janelle Monae’s “Dirty Computer.” Childish Gambino considers himself “internet famous” and has explored the meaning of that in his work over the years. This album dropping when it did is particularly interesting because Gambino uses the internet as a medium to connect people to each other with his music, which is nothing if not commendable.

While the presentation and production are reminiscent of “Because, the Internet,” the songwriting and vocal performances have the most in common with his last studio album, 2017’s “awaken, my love,” which saw the artist experimenting with soul and international sounds. It was a revelation for music listeners at the time because, while those genres had existed prior to that album’s release, he brought it into the mainstream and gave people new perspectives on the music they were listening to, leading to their own musical discoveries. On “3.15.20,” he continues to flex his singing voice and maintains his personal approach to music-making. By rolling everything he’s learned into one project, he sounds the most comfortable he ever has over the duration of a full album.

One of the album’s greatest strengths may also be a turn off to some. It is meant to be listened to from beginning to end. Most of the songs segue into each other, almost none of the songs have real titles which will make it hard to pick out specific songs you like and it follows an arch. Once you get to the “30” section of songs, the album hits its climax with awesome techno-basslines, monstrous vocals and a feeling like you’re journeying into a void. Then, just like that, you’re hit with chirping birds and the most upbeat song on the track. It is deliberately deceptive though, with lyrics about institutionalized racism creating an interesting juxtaposition. The song, “35.31,” feels the most like a companion piece to “This is America,” the artist’s highly acclaimed 2018 single.

Easily the most disappointing thing about the album is track “42.26,” which is actually just his song “Feels like Summer” under a new title. That song came out two years ago and was even packaged in a mini EP. It still stands as one of the artist’s most drawn-out songs and it feels ironic for an album so themed around the importance of time to waste a full five minutes of its 57-minute run-time on something so disconnected from the rest of the album. Luckily, the last two tracks make up for it and you can just skip over it all the same.

Overall, “3.15.20” is very good. On the first listen it comes off a bit strange, but it’s worth winding back and reevaluating. With this, Childish Gambino’s discography becomes even more unique. His form really comes together on this album — it’s his styles convening while being more understated than anything he’s ever done. The album features three mainstream powerhouses in Ariana Grande, 21 Savage and SZA, whose features help to ground the album. The album’s time stamp titles and blank cover are just two of the many elements that grab your attention at key times even if some of the attention-grabbing elements are negative. Overall, it’s worth listening to a few times. 

4 stars

Princess Nokia, made famous for her 2017 album “1992 Deluxe,” released two albums on Wednesday, February 26, one titled “Everything Sucks” and the other “Everything Is Beautiful.” 

The intended purpose of releasing two projects at once was to cater to her fans, Nokia explained. 

“I wanted to make something for every Nokia fan,” she said on her Instagram story the day she released the albums. 

It’s a good sentiment to have and it is nice to see her doing the most that she can, expanding her own horizons past the sound of her debut album. However, the result is that “Everything Sucks” is a project with considerable flaws in writing and production that feels like the artist is treading water. In contrast, and seemingly on purpose, “Everything Is Beautiful” is full of life, and is the one to listen to all the way through if one is comparing the two albums.

Where “Everything Sucks” has dull production, “Everything is Beautiful” makes up for it with a clean, extravagant sound. It is Nokia’s most soulful, gospel-influenced work to date, which lends itself to the tone of the album well. The opening track, “Green Eggs and Ham,” sets this tone, and Nokia sees it through to the end. The whole song feels like a sermon praying for your inner child and the divine feeling of reliving those memories. Her rhymes are simple but coupled with the smooth production, her singing voice and some very nice bass riffs, they create a great opening track with a positive message.

She continues to steamroll through the album on the second track “Happy Place” with a catchy piano loop and an excellent flow from Nokia. The third song, “Wash & Sets,” is where I begin to have problems with the album. The message of the song is that she misses being a kid and that now that she’s an adult she has to pay for bills, rent, college, etc. While her singing voice still comes through very well on this track, it’s hard to tell who its intended audience is. 

Older listeners would view the messaging of “Tell me who’s gonna pay these debts / I miss being a kid” as being whiny, and I would struggle to disagree with them. On one hand, the song is relatable, but on the other hand, there is a very childish nature to it. It feels too immature a message for her to be putting out at this point in time, and many of the other songs on “Everything Is Beautiful” say the same thing more subtly. It is difficult to critique the album on some of its immaturities because it is themed around them so heavily, so there is the hope that this was her opportunity to get some of it out and to grow as an artist moving forward.

The climax of the album is “Sugar Honey Iced Tea” which Nokia released as a single back in September. From the songwriting to the singing and heavenly production, the song is a powerhouse. Nokia’s verses are unbelievably good. She does a great job maintaining the voice she uses in the hook for her rap flows. You can find something new to appreciate about it on multiple relistens, and if you’re going to be bumping any track on this album by itself, this is probably it.

The falling action of “Everything Is Beautiful” maintains the tone with a softer voice than the songs before it. “Soul Food y Adobo,” “Blessings” and “I am Free” are all smoother, jazzier rap-inspired bops. They lend a good diversity to the album while staying consistent in its overall quality. The last track “The Conclusion,” has Nokia rapping directly to her listeners, accented by a very light, string-focused beat. It’s reminiscent of “That Power,” from Childish Gambino’s “Camp” in the best way.

“Everything Is Beautiful” is a well-constructed, well-paced album that sticks to its themes, has a consistent sound and doesn’t compromise. In “The Conclusion,” Nokia notes how all her albums are different from each other and that she loves to experiment. Experimenting can yield treacherous results at times but if her experimental trial and error process leads her to make more albums like this one, whatever she has in the pipeline could easily surpass it. 

3.5 stars

Chicago based four-piece indie-pop band Beach Bunny made a name for themselves with their 2018 EP “Prom Queen,” which was themed around heartbreak and loss. That theme continues with “Honeymoon,” dealing with raw emotion that anyone can relate to all in one indie-pop package.

 “Honeymoon” flies out the gate with “Promises.” The tapping of the snare to settle you in, the soft but strained voice of lead singer Lilli Trifilio, the ramping up of the guitar and the gut-wrenching question, “When you’re alone in your bedroom do you ever think of me?” does a good job setting the tone for the entire album. The album focuses on coping with being alone and struggling to get that other person out of your head. The following song, “Cuffing Season,” is a bit of a low point on the album, though it has some fun moments in the chorus. It plays to their sad-but-relatable brand, supported by the lines “Sometimes I like being on my own / I’m scared of winding up alone.” It feels incredibly honest, like all their work does, but it also feels the most like a dime-store Alvvays song.

Something that sticks out to me about Beach Bunny is that, despite their name, they don’t evoke much typical surf rock. The aforementioned Alvvays fit that bill more while Beach Bunny is more of an indie-pop unit. They evoke early 2000s teen rock more than anything. Specifically, the song “Ms. California” which succeeds despite how silly it is. It’s like the best Avril Lavigne song that she never released. 

The pacing of the album is exceptional. It covers its bases well and runs at a clean 25 minutes. It does everything it can do with its premise and directions. There are the fast, fun songs that are sad if you listen to the lyrics, and then there are the sad, slow songs that manage not to detract too much from the overall upbeat vibe of the album. The balance that it finds between sadness and fun is key and is indicative of the creators. The album has sad songwriting but very fun instrumentation. Even songs like the incredibly somber “Racetrack” provide the listener with something they can find comfort in. “Honeymoon” brings out many feelings, but the one that it treats its listener to the most is comfort. The level of honesty displayed is commendable, and it gives the listener something that they can relate to. It asks questions and brings listeners back to lonely nights, break-ups and love-filled daydreams. 

It is easy to view “Honeymoon” as just another indie-pop album and Beach Bunny as just another indie-pop band and if that is your ultimate takeaway then that’s understandable. While they have a good sound, it’s certainly not the most unique. If you threw this album in a mix, it may be hard to pull tracks out from the rest of the pack. Despite that, I do think that they are a good indie-pop band that makes inoffensive and entertaining music. “Honeymoon” is aptly named, as it is fun, but, much like the honeymoon phase, doesn’t have much staying-power. 

This Wednesday, Karen Sieber spoke at the weekly Lunch and Learn on Black Digital History. Sieber, a humanities specialist, discussed sites and resources for learning more about often overlooked events and people in Black history and civil rights. 

Many of the resources depicted have detailed maps and timelines, plotting significant events and places throughout history. One of Sieber’s main focuses is on the Red Summer of 1919, an often overlooked but devastating period of race riots and lynchings that lasted for months. 

“The thing that may be surprising about the Red Summer is that these riots weren’t just happening in the South,” Sieber said. “While a great many of them were, the most violent riots were in places like Chicago and Omaha.” 

The map on the site color codes and plots the locations of the riots and can be organized by themes or by categories such as if troops or law enforcement got involved. 

One of the key people discussed on Wednesday’s Lunch and Learn was sociologist Monroe Work. Work took data on violence against African Americans in the United States. 

“Thanks to digital history,” Sieber said. “His works have been mapped out and time-lined, providing detailed data all the way up until 1964.” 

The inspiration for the 2018 best picture winner “Green Book,” Sieber described a 20th-century driver’s guide that gave African Americans traveling within the United States an idea of what stores and hotels they could visit without being harassed. A new version of the publication would come out every year, sort of like an almanac. These green books are accessible through the New York Public Library. 

Karen Sieber does research for the McGillicuddy Humanities Center, and at the end of her presentation, she mentioned more upcoming events. The current theme is “Cinema of Colonisation and Decolonisation,” which is a dinner and show series being held in the Hill Auditorium in Barrows Hall. On March 9, Professor Ernest Mathijs will host the film “Coffy.” 

Lunch and Learn events occur every other Wednesday, hosted by the Multicultural Center. All of these events give students the opportunity to interact with one another and observe a presentation that sheds light on a topic or issue that they may not have known about.

Delaney Love is driven to succeed. From a young age, she has been prepared to make the sacrifices necessary to get through life and hone her many crafts. Love, a 20-year-old third-year journalism and media studies student, is ahead of her peers. She is currently working for The Maine Autism Society and is working towards becoming the lead manager at the New Balance Student Recreation Center.

At a young age, Love moved from California, where she was born, to Maine with her mother and siblings. Growing up with few resources, she had to push herself in order to succeed. At age twelve, she got herself into John Bapst, a private high school in Bangor, securing her own rides, teaching herself what would look good on a resume and getting involved in extracurricular activities to stand out and make the most of her time.

Because she came from a different background, Love struggled to fit in at Bapst. She had to push herself twice as hard, completing AP classes and getting involved with the arts, such as acting and singing. By the time she graduated, she had been accepted into many of her schools of choice. Due to the financial aid package she received and its close proximity to home, she decided to attend the University of Maine.

“I couldn’t dream of leaving the state, let alone the county,” Love said. So, she took out some loans and moved into the dorms.

Upon moving to campus, Love got to work right away. She started working at the New Balance Student Recreation Center and has been working there ever since, moving up the ranks. She has recently applied to be the lead manager. It was through the New Balance Student Recreation Center that she found like-minded people, driven to do their best.

“Some of the best people I know work in the Rec,” Love said. “They’re so driven and have sacrificed a lot too. It’s also just a fun community to be a part of.”

She has also been able to find work using her studies. Love also works with Black Bear Insider, utilizing her video and broadcasting skills. She is also proud of her work for the Autism Society of Maine, using her role to spread awareness and educate others about people who are on the spectrum. She takes it upon herself to raise awareness and share stories with people. Her brother has grown up with autism, and she values the opportunity to share his story. While her agenda is full much of the time, any free time she has is spent supporting her family; Love sacrificed a lot to get where she is, but never forgets where she came from.

Love is a jack of all trades. When she sets her mind to something, there is little that can get in the way of her drive.

She seeks to continue to work in public relations and wants to connect with as many people as possible. Her dream job is to be the manager of a record label and work in the music industry. In the meantime, however, she’s going to finish up her last couple of semesters and take some time for herself.

“I need time to just do me. I missed out on a regular childhood and once all this is said and done I think I’ll have earned time for myself,” Love said. She is on schedule to graduate in May.

4.5 stars

It’s hard to find two bigger crowd-pleasers than Florida rapper Denzel Curry and Atlanta producer Kenny Beats. Both have had a busy and profitable last couple years with Curry’s “Ta13oo” in 2018 and “zuu” in 2019 both garnering deserved critical and commercial success. Kenny Beats has been working hard in his “cave” with a plethora of artists, from Vince Staples to Rico Nasty, Danny Brown and Thundercat. He’s been the featured producer on several big-name albums over the last couple years and his YouTube Series “The Cave” has allowed for meetups and jam sessions with some of the biggest names in hip-hop. That’s essentially how this album came to be, with Curry going on Kenny’s show and the two spending some quality studio time together. The result? The finest 17-minute package of rap music this year, called “Unlocked.”

The synergy at play between Curry’s bars and Kenny’s production is great. The samples and drum kit Kenny plays with on the album are very reminiscent of Doom’s “MMM Food,” each sample placement is perfectly timed and the flow between his production and Curry’s lyrics is seamless. For an album with a run time of 17 minutes, it’s filled with an obscene amount of exciting and jaw-dropping moments. The last track “‘Cosmic’.m4a” has a moment where Curry spits, “You’re shooting in VR / we’ve got guns…” and then the sample steps in and finishes the line, “In reality.” While that is a technique that occurs often in rap, the sheer mastery at play is difficult to find a contemporary parallel to. The album is riddled with dynamite like that. Curry is telling you the entire time that everyone else is hysterical while he is historical, and it keeps getting harder to argue with that.

Curry’s hooks are sharp. The album does a good job revisiting them throughout, marrying them with autotune while slowing down and speeding up Curry’s voice. It gives you time to digest everything. When Curry goes into his first hook on the second track “Take_it_Back_v2,” he comes in fast and furious with, “Still trying to raise the charts so I’m not pushing shopping carts.” His raps are rife with references to his time in Carol City, historical figures, movies and videogames. There’s something sprinkled in for everybody, whether it’s a line about Thanos or Rosa Parks.

Kenny’s overall instrumentation on the project is like an angry computer, something The Decepticons would listen to. The 808s are pounding while the melodies on some of the tracks are beautiful. The bassline on the almost-completely instrumental, “Track07” lulls you into the nostalgic, cyberspace tone before Curry comes in and brings you back to reality.

In its presentation, from its cover art to its song titles, it is a throwback to the old internet. If it has one drawback it is the song titles which, when looked at as part of the album, are great and give it the “Dirty Computer” downloaded music vibe, but make it hard to remember individual song titles. With a title like “Track07,” it might be hard to remember just what track that was. Still, it’s a very deliberate design choice and, for the most part, it works. “Unlocked” is a fun, victory lap of a record from two of the greatest names in contemporary hip-hop. There is no dead air; there is no wasted time. It is immensely enjoyable. 

Every Thursday at 12:30 p.m., the University of Maine’s Socialist and Marxist series meets in the Bangor Room of the Memorial Union with a presentation meant to inform and inspire. This series specifically tackles controversial topics. On their docket, they plan on discussing racism, decolonization and our relationship to the world itself. This week’s topic was climate change, specifically the Green New Deal.

In their presentation, Professor of History Nathan Godfried and Associate Professor of Paleoecology and Plant Ecology Jacquelyn Gill compared Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s proposed Green New Deal to Franklin Roosevelt’s original New Deal in 1933. In order for the original New Deal to work, it required years of the working class being pushed to absolute loss. The deal was made to help resolve the Great Depression, but the initial deal was a “top-down approach,” and, because of that, the needs of the working class were overlooked. 

“It wasn’t without a peoples’ movement that the people ultimately received the proper accommodations,” Godfried said. 

It was after the failure of the first deal that people’s protests began. Work strikes started taking place across the country, the unemployed organized themselves and, over the next two years, the government worked to repress the peoples’ movement. In 1935, Roosevelt was forced into an ultimatum: either continue to suppress the people or accommodate them. So, the Second New Deal was made and the Social Security Act was passed. The Green New Deal requires, then, a push for a more comprehensive deal than those of the past. 

The challenge that comes with wanting to reach climate reform is reaching out to known support. However, in response to an audience question, Gill posited that climate change has friends in high places.

Climate change is seen as a threat to public safety. Public safety is a key issue when it comes to climate reform, as there’s the worry that the solution that gets made will impact those at higher power, which Gill states, “isn’t being very well addressed.”

“Who has a seat at the table when we come up with these plans? We’re not trying to repeat prior damage,” Gill said. “A lot of it comes down to representation. We need to hear from people what they need. It’s frustrating not having politicians’ support. However, it’s up to us to speak with our votes and be the change we want.”

The Socialist and Marxist series explores contemporary problems, proposes a solution and starts a conversation. The floor opens for discussion and inquiry at the end, and the presenters provide feedback and an informed perspective to the group. The Socialist and Marxist series encourages new faces at their meetings, which occur every Thursday from 12:30-1:45 p.m. in the Bangor Room of the Memorial Union.

3 stars

“The Shining” is one of the most well-regarded pieces of media, both book and film, in the genre of horror and suspense. The tricky thing about the story is that it doesn’t open itself up to much sequel potential. The entire story takes place in one specific location and over one specific period. It leaves you with just enough that you can fill in your own holes and come to your own conclusions about what was really going on at that snowy hotel. But, now, 40 years later, a sequel has been made. 

“Doctor Sleep” is faced with the impossible task of following “The Shining” and being a successful adaptation of King’s own novel. Overall, the result, while better than it had any right to be, could have just as easily been left out in the cold.

“Doctor Sleep” takes place in the present-day following Danny from the original “The Shining” as an adult. He’s played by Ewan McGregor, who does an amazing job the entire movie. Whenever he’s on screen, the movie is worth watching. Still being haunted by the ghosts of the Overlook Hotel, his time growing up with the shining has taken a toll on him. He gets to be the focal point of many of the movie’s best scenes, regardless of how much they actually have to do with the plot at large.

Danny starts receiving messages on his chalkboard from a young girl who shares the same ability as he does, and the two build a rapport with one another for several years. As the two team up with a shared purpose, the movie starts to lose me. It falls into a bland template of “We have powers and the bad guys have powers and they want to get us.” It’s a bit uninspired and the antagonists of the film aren’t intimidating at all. Rose, the lead villain, wears a ridiculous hat the entire movie and gets talked up as a powerhouse, but hardly gets anything of any real consequence done in the film.

“Doctor Sleep” feels like two movies with different tones fused together. One is a dark, introspective character study of a great character played by a great actor, and the other is a young adult fantasy novel that you’ve seen a million times. The movie as a whole is not bad but there is a level of craft that is lacking, especially in comparison to the original. There are some truly awful transitions that took me out of the experience. 

All that being said, the movie’s golden moments shine through and result in callbacks and surprises for fans of the original that feel like they mean something. There is a good time to be had watching “Doctor Sleep” but I’m sure I won’t see it again.

3.5 Stars

“Lost Kingz” by Tha God Fahim is the most recent album following the trend of 90s East-Coast influenced mood albums. By that, I mean albums that you can just throw on and listen to from beginning to end in a short enough amount of time that the album maintains a consistent tone throughout. In this case, that tone harkens back to Wu-Tang Clan-type production. 

Other recent examples of these types of albums I would point to are: Earl Sweatshirt’s “Feet of Clay,” Mach-Hommy’s “Wap Kohn Joj,” and Quelle Chris’ “Guns.” I would even group Freddie Gibbs and Madlib’s “Bandana” in a similar category, all of these artists very obviously influenced by “Madvillainy.” And even though “Lost Kingz” lacks the polish of its peers and predecessors, at 28 minutes in length it might be just what you need for your snowy commute.

One of the album’s greatest strengths is also one of its greatest weaknesses, and that’s how it all blends together. While the industrial type production, is simple, goes with Fahim’s voice well, and allows listeners to just turn the album on and enjoy it all the way through, the problem is that it is hard to differentiate individual songs. The songs featuring Mach-Hommy and Vinnie Paz help spice things up a bit and shake up the monotony, both of them lending some of the freshest verses on the project.

Fahim’s flow is very old school. You could play him alongside 90s New York rap and you wouldn’t be able to tell he’s rapping in 2020 and not 1990. He sounds like U-God or Inspectah Deck at their heights. “Lost Kings” is comparable to Deck’s “Uncontrolled Substance” but hits at only half the runtime which is much appreciated. There are two memorable and featureless songs on the album. The opening track “Iron Fist” really sets up the tone well for the whole project and is an easy determiner as to whether or not you’ll want to listen to the rest of the album. The song “Cash Rulez” is the last track and, vocally, Fahim really shines with the most memorable hook on the album, and is an obvious homage to Wu-Tang Clan’s “C.R.E.A.M.” The production on that track, however, is pretty weak. It’s a fairly boring beat and the way it is mixed sounds terrible through headphones. Listening to the individual parts of it is a bit of a mess. It really bogs down what should have been a good note to end on.

“Lost Kingz” is a very listenable album. It belongs on a playlist titled “Lo-Fi East Coast Type Hip Hop to Study To,” which is a totally respectable position for the album to be in. It shows that Fahim blends styles well. It’s a really nice throwback and can satisfy a specific itch if you’re looking for fresh voices to a familiar sound. Tha God Fahim may not be as strong as some of his peers, but he still deserves your streams and your attention. Keep an eye on him.

Stars: 4 out of 5 stars

It has now been over a year since rapper, producer and songwriter Mac Miller’s untimely death at the age of 26. At the time of his death, Miller was well into the development of “Circles,” the companion piece to his 2018 album, “Swimming.” Now, thanks to help from producer John Dior, Miller’s original vision has been fulfilled in all its intended glory.

The most refreshing thing about “Circles” is how it subverts expectations. Yes, in a lot of ways, it draws parallels to the artist’s discography, but it stands out as the best album he has made due to his deviation from pure hip-hop. “Swimming” was good, but it fell a little flat for me. “Circles” keeps a similar tone to its predecessor, but gives it a burst of energy and a more deliberate placement of emotion.

The emotions felt throughout this piece are very deliberate. It starts with the title track, “Circles,” which is a slow, somber opening. “Well, this is what it looks like / right before you fall,” Miller sings on one of many lines in the piece that’s made even more impactful now after his death. The following track, “Complications,” picks up the tempo a bit while still maintaining the melancholy attitude which Miller carries throughout the entire album.

“Some people say they want to live forever but I’m just trying to make it through today,” raps Miller. Bars like this really encapsulate what this whole piece is about; it’s somber and relatable, and it’s all coming from someone who doesn’t want people to struggle the way he did.

The tempo continues to pick up on the song “Blue World.” Hearing, “It’s a blue world without you,” at the beginning of the track is sad for sure, but it’s rather brilliantly placed as it turns out to be the biggest head-bobber on the album. The Casio-keyboard-style production, the simple hooks are all in Miller’s signature style. One thing he always did well was make music that you find yourself singing along to before it’s over.

Overall, there isn’t really a bad track on “Circles.” The songs all keep a consistent tone, they move into each other well and they feel genuine. “Good News” is a confession of how difficult it is to be honest when you’re in a bad place emotionally. “Surf” is a surf-rock inspired sad song which makes the album, appropriately, come full circle. 

Stylistically, “Circles” is right in Miller’s wheelhouse. He does everything he’s good at, and it all shines through. His raspy voice and his nearly-acoustic sounding production make it not just a great Mac Miller album but a great indie-songwriter album as well.

“Circles” is a very strong start to this year in music and conveys a strong final message from a great young artist: be true to yourself, be happy where you can be and hold onto what you love.