Quarantine Critiques: Music Albums

Constance Harwood, Tamara Guy and Madison McGuire
April 3, 2020

Heartbreak Weather, Guest Writer Constance Harwood

Cover art copyright belongs to Capitol Music.

The album Heartbreak Weather by Nial Horan has a great range of slower ballad-like songs as well as more upbeat songs to jam out and sing along to. It is definitely an album you should listen to from start to finish, because it tells a story. My top three songs are “Arms of a Stranger”, “Nice To Meet Ya” and “Black and White”. If you are looking for a new album to put in your rotation this is a great one!

No explicit language, 4 out of 5 stars.

 

Heaven or Hell, Staff Writer Tamara Guy

Don Toliver. Photo courtesy of Catch XXII Radio Show, CC 3.0.

Don Toliver is a new artist to the rap community. He began creating music in 2018 when he signed with Cactus Jack Records, Travis Scott’s Record Label. He released an album in 2018 but in 2019 gained popularity for his single “No Idea” that gained popularity on Tik Tok. On March 13, 2020, he released his newest album, Heaven or Hell which features artists such as, Sheck Wes, Quavo and Travis Scott. Toliver’s melodies are very similar throughout the whole album, and it has more of a slowed R&B vibe when listening. Although the album is very good, it is frustrating to many fans because of the similarity to Travis Scott. Overall, it is a very chill and laid back album that most rap enthusiasts would enjoy.

Explicit language, 4 out of 5 stars.

 

Kid Krow, Assistant Photo & Art Editor Madison McGuire

Cover art copyright belongs to Republic Records.

Conan Gray, 21 year old singer, released his debut album Kid Krow on March 20, 2020. Kid Krow features some of Gray’s already released hit singles such as “Comfort Crowd” and “Maniac” along with seven new pieces that had not yet been released. Gray’s album is a beautiful combination of teenage coming of age heartbreak stories and love games. “Heather” for example, is a song Gray wrote about the jealousy he felt for a girl named Heather, whom the person he liked was interested in instead. All- in-all, this album has everything told through Gray’s signature indie-pop style: heartbreak, joy, jealousy and love. If you’re looking for roughly 30 minutes of songs about the complications of being a teenager, Kid Krow is the choice for you.

Explicit language, 4.5 out of 5 stars.