Chicago R&B singer-rapper Jeremih’s surprise mixtape and follow-up to critically acclaimed album Late Nights, Late Nights: Europe has arrived after reportedly having been conceived and recorded in the space of two weeks due to inspiration from Jeremih’s endeavours in Europe on tour. Unfortunately, while this material may have just been recorded recently, it definitely sounds … Continue reading Jeremih – Late Nights: Europe
Month: July 2016
BensBeat Scheduling Update
From now on, I will be posting one review on Mondays and one on Wednesdays, instead of the usual 2 reviews every Monday, in order to space things out over the week. This week's review of Jamila Woods' debut album HEAVN is below, and another will be coming this Wednesday. Thanks for reading!
Jamila Woods – HEAVN
Chance the Rapper associate and Social Experiment member Jamila Woods’ first album as a solo artist is a statement, and not necessarily a bold one – which may be its underlying strength. HEAVN serves as yet another in a recent string of albums offering their take on the current issues of today, most primarily relating … Continue reading Jamila Woods – HEAVN
Dreezy – No Hard Feelings
Up-and-coming Chicago-area female singer and rapper Dreezy’s debut album is a showcase of potential that hasn’t yet been realized. Coming off moderate hit “Body”, inching ever so closely to the Billboard Top 50, No Hard Feelings is full of laid-back R&B numbers of the same, average calibre, as well as the majority of the tracks … Continue reading Dreezy – No Hard Feelings
Savant – Vybz
Prolific electronic musician Savant returns with his first project since last year’s Invasion, continuing his long line of solid releases as he continues to infiltrate every facet of EDM’s wide array of genres. One of the most creative electronic producers in the business right now due to his extensive musical background as a multi-instrumentalist, Savant … Continue reading Savant – Vybz
Aphex Twin – Cheetah EP
Mysterious electronic music producer Aphex Twin, now on his third release since returning after an extended hiatus with Grammy Award-winning album Syro, changes up his style, and possibly for the better. At this point he has a quite a reputation attached to him which honestly caused me to be slightly apprehensive approaching this project: a … Continue reading Aphex Twin – Cheetah EP
ScHoolboy Q – Blank Face LP
Perhaps I shouldn’t be reviewing this album, as the very first words uttered on ScHoolboy Q’s latest release Blank Face LP are “This that f--- the blogs”. While I understand why you might feel this way, Mr. Q, please don’t hate me for constructive criticism. And fortunately, not a great deal is needed as the … Continue reading ScHoolboy Q – Blank Face LP
Logic – Bobby Tarantino
Rapper Logic releases a shorter project for the summer ahead of his forthcoming third studio album, set for release later this year, and continues his breakneck pace of releasing music. Being a mixtape, the project ultimately does not live up to a fully realized concept album like The Incredible True Story, but it is still … Continue reading Logic – Bobby Tarantino
MAGIC! – Primary Colours
Canadian reggae fusion quartet MAGIC!, fronted by accomplished pop songwriter Nasri Atweh, returns with their sophomore album which is definitely a step up, but ultimately falls into many of the same holes as the first. Once again, the singles are clearly the main attraction, rising above the competition while the album’s second half falls into … Continue reading MAGIC! – Primary Colours
Ben's Beat - Music Reviews 