GENIE ESPINOSA

Tell us a bit about your post-secondary education and your journey to obtain your two technical degrees revolving around design. What prompted you to attend school for design and illustration? It was just something I needed to do. I realized, quite late, I could at least try to study something related to arts because everyone [had] told me there was no future in it. Before that, I was studying economics (age 16 -18) and [that’s] when I realized I needed to at least try it. Since I didn’t make any art in high school I thought trying to enter to University would have been difficult for me. I thought that starting with the technical degrees would kick me a bit faster into that world. I thought Graphic Design will get me close to illustration so that’s why I started there.

What do you think was the most beneficial take away from it? Oh! It certainly complements illustration a lot ... I can manage spaces, weights, and it also turned me into a font freak so I can add bits here and there. Graphic design is super fun and complementary to illustration; it helps me set the space and the voids of the paper. It still fills my hear with joy! hehehe

While you do a lot of work in illustration, you also have work in ceramics. Tell us a bit about that process and what it is that you appreciate about it in comparison to illustration. Do you like to have your ceramics mirror your illustrations?

Ceramics was a choice regarding my mental health. I really needed a break from all the stress and pressure and also get away of the screen. Ceramics was the choice to make, I went to LUSESITA DELICATESSEN which is a wonderful ceramic studio in Poblenou, Barcelona and she helped me getting started with. I had a lot of fun and of course I tried to reflect my own illustrations on it. Being a super different media it [has been] very interesting to work on it, and has also helped me with patience. It keeps me distracted [since] my hands were so dirty I couldn’t reach my phone so I avoided mail notifications for 2 hours.

Although you have a large body of work, do you have a particular favourite project that you have worked on? What about it makes you think of this versus others? I can say I take my work very seriously and that if I jump in a project I will do it 100%. I like to work carefully and [with] dedication on it for when times come that you need to get more [done] at a time (of course, money issues). It is super hard for me to divide my attention so I end up working crazy hours and having bad sleep schedules. I love anything that the client trust me on, when I can run free and go crazy about it. But those are the most stressful ones too because there’re parts of myself in every one of them so I end up a bit exhausted. How do you approach your personal work versus commissions or editorial work? How do you manage your time to ensure that you are still able to do personal work? [laughs] Well! I am kind of a workaholic, as my friends say, so when I am not working illustrating I am illustrating for fun to try new stuff or see how I can express my feelings better. I sometimes don’t have enough time or find myself super tired to produce anything visible (let’s say to post on instagram) but there are many notebooks and hidden folders on my ipad with unfinished ideas and sketches waiting for me to get my hands on them!

With your personal work, what kinds of narratives or themes do you find yourself most attracted to illustrating?

I often talk about what’s on my head or life, and usually about feelings. It is easy for me express one kind of situation and also represent it with non normative characters, as this is one thing I was missing when i was a little kid. My personal projects talk about what I am up to at the moment, what concerns me, interest me or annoy me.

With editorials, you often are working with important topics associated with bodies of text. How much of your voice do you find you are able to put into those illustrations? Has there ever been one that you had trouble with drawing? Is there a particular article that you feel most attached to with your work along next to it? Editorial is very tricky! Sometimes you only get the idea in a two line description and you have to [wrap] your head around it and come up with some sketches you think could work. It’s fun to do and it has this stress kick I really I am addicted to. I think my “voice” is not just the things I say but the way I say them? So, I am guessing that the same hand doing the illustration for me or others will produce a very similar result that can be easily recognized. I am a sufferer so I get very anxious with every project but if the article talks about stronger women I think I just get bonded very quickly in a “I want to be like them” way.

Do you actually find it easier to do illustrations that have social commentary? Yes! If it’s something I’m interested to or relate in any way I get along with it very quickly.

You have a very bright and bold style. What brought you to find this particular style and what about it are you most attracted to? It was a logical jump as I com from illustrating children books so these have to be very bright. I kind of needed to develop my own voice and start doing all the work, stories and illustrations, on my own so it became quick and natural. I don’t think I’ll ever stop working as I am usually never satisfied. Tell us a bit about your process from working on an illustration beginning to end. How long do you find it takes for you to finish a particular piece? If we are talking about my own idea it can take from 2 hours up, from concept to sketch to final. If it’s an editorial I think I need several days [though], sometimes there’s just no time, so I have to rush! I love thinking on different concepts and sending some of them to the client so we can chat about them before working on the final together.

What forms of mediums do you use? Do you find that you are mostly working with paints, or have you gravitated more towards digital illustrations? I mostly work digital, so Photoshop and cintiq or else Procreate and an iPad. I have been approaching paints lately as a way to think outside the screens again. So, murals and acrylics help me a lot with that, and I also have a lot of fun [with them].

What should people be looking out for from you and your work in the near future? Oh! please don’t expect anything! I hope they like what they see and I hope to connect with the viewer in many ways. I hope you see things in my work you can relate to and, of course, I hope you’ve fun with it. I am currently working on my first graphic novel so there’re many things to be said there! [laughs]

Everyone Loves You… Once You Leave Them is the seventh studio album from Australian rock outfit The Amity Affliction, and the band’s first release through Pure Noise Records. The LP opens like any other cookie-cutter metalcore release; a dramatic, piano-heavy introduction, repeated vocal mantra and subsequent build to a bland, chugging breakdown. “All My Friends are Dead” kicks off the album with a flurry of blast beats and drop tuned guitars but really flubs the landing by dropping into the next section with the ham-fisted lyric “Crushed by Depression”. I understand the raw sentiment of the words but in a world saturated with music like this there are far more artful and nuanced ways to convey these emotions to one’s audience. Screamer Joel Birch might has well have just spelled out the entire sentence. There is no reading between the lines, no subtext; it’s completely surface level, with no depth, nuance or any care put into the presentation. If that wasn’t enough, this passage drops into a bouncy yet hilariously underwhelming hook. The dead pan woah-oh’s and corny lyrics of “Dying slowly is dying lonely” murder any momentum the track had. Not to mention the out-of-place trap percussion in the bridge to really make this opener a confusing mess. This haphazard blending of sounds is a prominent issue throughout Everyone Loves You… Once You Leave Them. Teaser single “Soak Me in Bleach” starts with an ethereal instrumental backdrop as the vocalist drops fake-deep lines such as “When the dreamer dies, so dies the dream”, before leading into yet another underwhelming dad-rock chorus. The fluttering piano arpeggios that pop up in the pre-chorus add some interesting texture to the mix, but the unironic “ROCK!” shouted before the bridge is just too much. Even worse are the EDM-sounding pitch-shifted vocals that are worked into the track’s finale. The perplexing sonic decisions continue with the drum choice throughout “All I Do Is Sink”, as the closed hi-hat groove on the verses completely clashes with the instrumentation surrounding it. On the topic of clashing, the five second trap introduction of “Baltimore Rain” transitions jarringly into a section of screamed vocals that is interrupted by a repeating gunshot snare leading into a shockingly weak chorus. The clean vocalist sounds truly bored to tears here, THE AMITY AFFLICTION 02.21.20

EVERYONE LOVES YOU ... ONCE YOU LEAVE THEM Pure Noise Records 2.4

and the performance is so devoid of any force, power or conviction that the dramatic guitar chords and glitched pianos underneath just sound awkward. The laughably simplistic, glam-rock guitar solo on this track is the truly hilarious cherry on top of this absolute mess of a track. The middle section of Everyone Loves You… Once You Leave Them is equally confusing but contains a few more bearable moments. “Aloneliness” sets a mood with gently plucked guitar notes and a vocal line layered with melodic synthesized harmonies. This mantra is actually quite pleasant to listen to, but as soon as the solo vocal performance comes in, the melodramatic lyrics and tone-deaf singing ruin anything that the track previously had going for it. The hook of “Just Like Me” has a solid message and dreamy layers of backing vocals before introducing a truly ugly passage with chugging guitars and gruff singing that conflict heavily with the reverbed whistling and twinkling, lead melody. A driving drum groove and melodic screaming section actually compliments the following chorus of “Forever”. In comparison with the rest of the record, this song is much more soundly composed as a result of significantly smoother transitions between The Amity Affliction’s repetitive structures and an effectively forlorn lead guitar melody. “Born to Lose” opens with a faux-heavy nu-metal riff before hard cutting with a pathetic snare transition into the opening verse. At this point the band is so far beyond making anything sound close to coherent... Are they even trying? The breakdown on this song is the heaviest moment on Everyone Loves You… Once You Leave, but it is contradicted by an abrupt ambient detour that adds absolutely nothing to the song. The final, half-assed hit at the song’s conclusion further proves that The Amity Affliction is trying to get away with the absolute bare minimum of effort. The vocal melody of “Fever Dream” is the strongest on the album, and the way the band busts into the song’s climactic guitar solo sounds surprisingly solid, but the ludicrous lyric “My heavy heart is heavy often” makes this track a struggle to take seriously. The chorus of “Catatonia” is the final nail in the coffin for Everyone Loves You… Once You Leave Them, completely neutering the actually decent heavy sections of the album’s finale.

BEST TRACK: “Fever Dream” WORST TRACK: “Soak Me in Bleach ”

UNLOCKED Loma Vista 8.2

UNLOCKED is the latest collaborative project between American record producer Kenny Beats and Florida MC Denzel Curry. Clocking in at just under twenty minutes, these eight tracks are a colorful and eclectic collection beginning with “Track 01”. This tone-setting prelude is full of obscure, retro voice samples that aptly introduces the iconic duo; reminiscent of the classic work MF Doom created throughout the early 2000s, particularly on Madvillainy. A prickly, detuning synth lead drones over ominous tones on the following “Take_it_Back_v2”, a joint that transitions halfway into a sinister and nostalgic boom-bap beat laced with Curry’s chopped vocals. It is a creative touch that the hook repeats in a consistently different octave but Denzel’s cadence on this track does not sound great pitched up.

Warped vocals are worked in much more effectively on later tracks such as the project’s standout banger “DIET_”. The subsequent “So.Incredible.pkg” carries over the murky, tropical vibe of “DIET_” with watery synth chords and smooth melodic drum loops. The sliding, descending bassline weaving throughout the mix sounds fantastic, and considering the blissful vibe of the instrumental, it would’ve been nice to hear a bit more melody from Denzel’s delivery. “Track07” is a subtle instrumental flex from Kenny Beats full of dreamy guitars, a nimble bass line and groovy percussion patterns. This song’s vocal contributions are mostly made up of screwed sections of the previous “So.Incredible.pkg” and are worked in tastefully. It is a general solid instrumental and works well as a moment of meditation before the bombastic finale. Although far from either artist’s best work, UNLOCKED is still an entertainingly cartoonish collection of charismatic hip-hop tracks from two of the rap game’s most prolific personalities.

BEST TRACK: “DIET_” WORST TRACK: “Track 01”

FATHER OF ALL ... Reprise Records 1.0

Father of All… is the latest LP from long-running American rock band Green Day, a trio that has marketed their thirteenth album with the perplexing promise that the music contains “No features, no trap beats, no Swedish songwriters, just 100% pure uncut rock”. This statement was plastered upon billboards throughout the United States to show the world that Green Day will not fall prey to what the trio deems “poisonous” influences that hurt the foundations of the “rock”. This could also be a jab at the band’s contemporaries such as blink-182, who have at least attempted albeit poorly, to refresh their sound and adapt in this new era of music. The irony of this absurd marketing lies in the fact that Father of All… is such an atrocious collection of songs that ANY of these omitted aspects would have helped the enjoyability of the record. On top of that, the very concept that Green Day is marketing this album on is what hurts it the most; instead of revitalizing rock music by going back to its roots, Green Day perfectly captures why the genre is dying and on the decline. Between the cheesy shots of guitars and overblown clapping samples, Billie Joe Armstrong’s terrible falsetto delivery is what really kills the opening title track. Considering the singer’s statement that “Rock has lost its balls”, the performance here does little to improve the situation. The horror continues on the following “Fire Ready Aim” where Green Day’s unhealthy obsession with clapping is assisted by a plunking piano that is almost as ugly as the album’s abhorrent artwork. The extraneous instrumentation of “Oh Yeah!” is even worse, featuring a grating organ sound on the chorus as Green Day laughably attempts their best Arctic Monkeys impression… It makes perfect sense here that in order for Green Day to make a purist rock album, the band would attempt to copy a more successful band and call it their own. “Meet Me on the Roof” sees Green Day butchering a nostalgic 50’s rock sound, where irritating backing vocals and Armstrong’s ridiculous embellishments rapidly sour the homage. The attempts at wistful lyrics on “I Was a Teenage Teenager” are complete madness as they describe themselves as “living like a prisoner for haters” with the resolve that “School is just for suckers”; for a band that is trying to revitalize themselves with youthful energy, Green Day sure does resemble a group of out-of-touch fifty somethings. The claps are back in full force on the blues rip-off “Stab You in the Heart” and appear once again on the painfully uneventful “Junkies on a High”. At least Green Day sound like themselves on tracks like “Sugar Youth”, but even this song wouldn’t be able to stand toe-to-toe with the weakest cuts on records like American Idiot. The sample that opens “Take the Money and Crawl” is enjoyable simply because it isn’t Green Day playing, and the second the record scratching vocals come in on the refrain, this song becomes just as unbearable as every other. Father of All… lasts just under twenty-seven minutes, and while it feels like the record is over ninety minutes, these ignorant, fake punks were at least kind enough to wrap up this abysmal excuse of a rock album in under half an hour.

BEST TRACK: “Sugar Youth” WORST TRACK: The other nine songs

PETALS FOR ARMOR I - EP Atlantic 4.0

Paramore frontwoman and singer Hayley Williams has made her solo debut with Petals for Armor I, an EP that supposedly makes up a significant chunk of her upcoming debut album. This project was teased with the hypnotizing lead single “Simmer”, a dark introduction that opens the EP with a creative collage of Williams’ vocal samples. The lyrics revolve around abuse that Hayley has gone through in the past and her delivery feels incredibly raw and urgent. Although I found this track to be both well-written and enticing, the rest of Petals for Armor – I does not hold up to the quality of the opener. Contrary to “Simmer” the following “Leave it Alone” is a downright snooze with its sleepy guitars and arduous acoustic instrumentation. It feels a bit like a Paramore song without a pulse, and the surges of strings are strikingly reminiscent of contemporaries like Angel Olsen. This is an issue that is prevalent throughout Petals for Armor – I in that Hayley Williams seems to want to play chameleon rather than forge her own identity as an artist. This is painfully clear on the track “Creepin’”, where the minimalist instrumental, lyrical content and vocal manipulations come together to form the most blatant Billie Eilish bite I have heard from another popular artist. On the topic of painful, the vocal riffing William’s opens with on “Cinnamon” sounds downright awful and sours the song’s refrain with its awkward and clunky delivery. It might have worked as a subtle ad-lib or intro but making it such an integral part of the track really kills this track’s enjoyability. “Sudden Desire” is a complete mess of an ending that features Hayley Williams hilariously trying to do her best Bjork impression, reaching into her upper register over robotic vocals and heavy synth bass. This EP is baffling. The reason for its existence should be to shape Hayley as a solo artist, but instead this feels like a mix of lifeless Paramore B-sides and rip-offs of other female pop-artists. These songs are lengthy but unsuccessful in displaying Hayley as a unique songwriter; she fails to come into her own as an artist on this release and as a result, Petals for Armor – I does not add up to a satisfying project and will unlikely improve in the context of the upcoming album.

BEST TRACK: “Simmer” WORST TRACK: “Cinnamon”

POLARIS 02.21.20

THE DEATH OF ME Sharptone Records 6.9

The Death of Me is the second studio album from Australian metalcore act Polaris. Setting the tone with an eerie guitar line and progressively intensifying vocal passage from vocalist Jamie Hails, “Pray for Rain” builds with spacious drums and a distant electric guitar towards a monumental, groove-centered riff. It’s a Hell of an introduction, with the clean vocal passages being the only weak point; an issue that remains unfortunately consistent throughout The Death of Me. In contrast to this weakness, the opening tracks are an excellent display of how great the screaming is on this record. Jamie’s conviction and electrifying performances on the opener as well as the following track are what really sells these songs. “Hypermania” is an absolute barn burner of a track, throttling the listener from beginning to end in a relentless torrent of groovy riffs paired with an exhilarating vocal performance. The song is superbly paced and the band’s transition into the final refrain is a fantastically fun ending. Another reason this track is so well assembled is the intentional lack of clean vocals, which immediately kill the momentum of The Death of Me on with the subsequent “Masochist”. “Landmine” picks up the pace by presenting a more alt-metal sound reminiscent of early Slipknot, particularly through the rhythmic vocal delivery and loud chants layered into the refrain. The chugging bridge section shifts into a wicked guitar solo before returning to the chanting chorus to close out the track. The song feels familiar on the whole, but the blast beat section introduced at the conclusion is an interesting change-up that shows Polaris somewhat tried to put their own spin on this sound. The alt-metal influence continues on the refrain of “Vagabond”, leaving the middle of this album feeling far from refreshing. “Creatures of Habit” grabs the ear right away with its impressively serpentine guitar work. A prominent tapping lead glides over the instrumental, almost drowning out the clean vocals sung throughout the hook, to the song’s overall benefit. Polaris layers the clean and screaming vocals throughout this track, making the melodic sections come through with the bite that was desperately needed on previous tracks. The Death of Me ends on a strong note with the band’s finest display of clean vocal melody and delivery on “Martyr (Waves)”. A powerful and effective ballad, the singing on this track is forceful and emotional, as opposed to the typically robotic sounding delivery up until this point. The penultimate “All of This is Fleeting” opens with a hypnotic, delayheavy guitar riff that is prominent throughout the verses. The panned tremolo guitars that trade off throughout the song add tons of color to the mix, but the spacious and gratuitous breakdown section comes off as stale this far into the album. A crushing finale, “The Descent” wastes no time kicking into technical two-step and half-time sections before building into a crushing chugging part laced with natural harmonics. Jamie takes up a large section of the hook, keeping this track satisfyingly aggressive before it continues its veritable “descent” of impressively intricate and melodic instrumental passages. The single singing section before the second refrain is the only portion of “The Descent” that seems to lack in energy, once again due to the deadpan delivery; this Achilles heel of The Death of Me stays harshly apparent until the very end. The gritty and prominent bass guitar sounds fantastic with the drum’s swinging ride and hypnotic guitarwork as the closer melts into a meditative bridge. It is almost psychedelic sounding, building in a satisfying way towards the album’s climactic concluding breakdown. Polaris have successfully come through with a solid sophomore record, although the amateurish cleanvocals are a glaring weakness in comparison to the technical ability and talent of the rest of the band

BEST TRACK: “Hypermania” WORST TRACK: “Masochist”

Super Whatevr’s second studio album don’t you wanna be glad? sees the California band exploring new sonic territory while maintaining their emo and alternative rock influences. A punchy drum groove and prominent synth bass introduce “Better.”, the cheerful and peppy opening cut. This track works as a lyrical tone setter but the pitch-shifted vocal layers and rhythmic delivery are so sonically similar to artists such as twenty one pilots that it becomes rapidly off-putting. The-four on-the-floor pattern and ear-grabbing bass line of the following “Yours Truly.” are instantaneously catchy however, and the subtle strummed acoustic guitars and filtered claps add plenty of color to the mix. The ascending keyboards in the bridge also add a pleasant instrumental change-up but the song seems a bit too focused on the hook, leaving it wearisome by the conclusion. The summery guitar chords and infectious hook of “So Am I.” are nothing but enhanced by the subtle synth work throughout, making it an easy standout. The subsequent “Sober.” begins with playful keyboards and rubbery sub bass that syncs up nicely with the piano’s rhythm. The trap percussion worked into the track is a surprisingly effective addition that still leaves plenty of room for the band’s instrumentation. The blissful soundscape of “I Wanna Be Cool.” sets the perfect foundation for the unique lyrical expressions on this track; yearning to resemble massive figures in the upper echelon of pop music such as Post Malone, while simultaneously resigning to the alternative niche that Super Whatevr resides in. The beat is pleasantly funky while the modern rap flows throughout the verses match with the sentiment of the lyrics. These above-mentioned tracks are effectively enhanced by their unique production and add a lot to the character of the album, unfortunately some of these pairings are not so smooth… “Unhealthy.” is an ironically weak marriage of Super Whatevr’s newly established sound with their new pop and hip-hop influences; it’s an awkward clash with the main offender being the noisy synth bass worked into the bridge. “Eternity Complex.” and “Life SUPER WHATEVR 02.07.20

DON’T YOU WANNA BE GLAD? Hopeless Records 5.5

(I Want U).” both suffer through the delivery of the vocals, which severely lack the emotive conviction or flare needed to really sell these tracks. Meanwhile, the happy-go-lucky whistling section and commercialready hook on “Everything’s New, Everything Hurts.” gets painfully tiresome with consistent listens. don’t you wanna be glad? improves with the shivering synth chords and unique percussive elements of “Wesleepwedream.”, seamlessly building a dreamy atmosphere through reserved, repeating vocals and luscious guitar chords. “Melancholyism.” is a solid conclusion that aptly displays the rich instrumental palette of this album, but the amount of sonic details throughout leaves the penultimate “Holy Anxious” feeling too skeletal by comparison. Sadly, the performances are not captivating enough to keep this barebones ballad interesting across its run time. Super Whatevr’s sophomore LP is a respectable attempt to branch out and expand their sound, and although there are just as many duds as hits on don’t you wanna be glad?, the band’s original charm still comes through on a few songs.

BEST TRACK: “So Am I” WORST TRACK: “Everything’s New, Everything Hurts”

THE SLOW RUSH Interscope 7.9

It has been five years since psychedelic rock mastermind Kevin Parker took his passion project Tame Impala in a progressive and synth-heavy direction with 2015’s Currents. Many years have passed since the world has heard from Kevin, and the concept of time is woven throughout his lyrics on Tame Impala’s latest record The Slow Rush. The shimmering opening melodies of “One More Year” speak to the strength of Tame Impala’s engineering and production, but the vocal performance is fairly underwhelming and does little to add to the track more than establish the album’s main themes. After a somewhat dragging introduction, “Instant Destiny” picks up the pace with a much bolder vocal performance over jubilant synth chords and a triumphant beat. The lovestruck and seemingly ecstatic lyrics evoke a sense of brightness that comes through strongly in the instrumental as well, closing out with a wall of fluttering electronics.

The bouncy piano line and irresistible groove of lead single “Borderline” is greatly enriched by the nostalgic woodwinds and groaning synth bass. This track is where the album begins to really express its disco influence, which is further explored on the labyrinthine “Breathe Deeper”. The dreary organs and descending guitar line, curiously reminiscent of Iron Maiden’s “Hallowed Be Thy Name” set a gloomy tone for “Posthumous Forgiveness”. The pulsing synths that sync up with the drums compliment the dramatic and tragic lyrics throughout this song detailing Kevin’s falling out with his deceased father. The massive wall of throbbing drums and keyboards transition the song into its dreamier second phase, where the forlorn lyrics become quite heartbreaking as Kevin Parker declares he would give anything to simply see his father once again and show him how music has changed his life. The recurring and final line “Want to play you all my songs, and hear your voice sing along” captures this sense of “Posthumous Forgiveness” perfectly.

As The Slow Rush carries on into its second half, the instrumentals become noticeably less expansive and experimental, with the meditative “Tomorrow’s Dust” and bubbly “Lost In Yesterday” completely paling in comparison to tracks like “Breathe Deeper”. These tracks are far from duds but are lacking a sense complexity and uniqueness. The vocal performance throughout “On Track” however is completely unimpressive compared to its intoxicating instrumental palette. The explosive energy of “It Might Be Time” revitalizes the album with bouncy keyboards and wailing, noisy synth leads. The bass guitar is slathered in rich distortion that adds to the grittiness of this track, which is followed by the blissful “Glimmer”; a primarily instrumental detour that is a surprising standout. Tense staccato keyboards are the driving melodic component of “One More Hour”, leading into huge hits of guitars, bass and crashing cymbals that give the sense of a grand finale. It is not exactly a dramatic send off, but the song plays out in a blissful and enjoyable way increasing layers of instrumentation before slowly falling away like the last grains of sand in an hourglass. Considering the gap between this album and Tame Impala’s last, there is a frustrating lack of growth on a lot of these songs, as many of them could fit quite snugly into the track listing of Currents. That being said The Slow Rush is still a more solid and holistic experience than its predecessor and the songs that land are truly great.

BEST TRACK: “Breathe Deeper” WORST TRACK: “On Track”

SINTHESIZE Sounds of Crenshaw 3.5

Terrace Martin is an American producer and multiinstrumentalist known for his work with acts such as Kendrick Lamar, Problem, Talib Kwali and Snoop Dogg. Typically, he is seen with a saxophone in his hands, but Terrace took his new album Sinthesize in a notably different direction. This is evident in the intoxicating and ethereal “Intro”. A nimble, wailing synth lead floats through the mix as a bed of synthesizers slowly builds, melting into the simple kick and snare pattern of “Slauson Walker”. Promptly joined by an expressive synth bass, heavily modulated synthesizers and spacious guitar strumming, the timbre of this track and Sinthesize as a whole is reminiscent of artists in the Brainfeeder community like Flying Lotus or Thundercat.

However, something feels missing. “Slauson Walker” does little to progress what is established in the initial twenty seconds and comes to few, if any sonic conclusions before the listener is transitioned into the next song. Airy synthesizers and a palm muted guitar line take the spotlight of “Breakfast Sandwich”, a song made up of a frustratingly similar sound palette to the previous two tracks. Perhaps Terrace Martin was attempting to set a uniform vibe with these opening songs, but this track fails to leave an impression other than the haphazardly mixed guitar embellishments. Sinthesize serves up its first vocal performance in the form of “Lies”, a simple mantra revolving around the song’s title delivered in an effects-heavy robotic voice. The beat isn’t terrible but on the whole, this track just feels like discount Daft Punk.

Descending keyboards and off-kilter percussion are slowly added into the bass-heavy mix of “Surely Unsure”. The staccato keyboard melody worked into the second-half clashes hideously as the track builds to yet another inconclusive instrumental, leaving the song both inconsequential and ungratifying. For an album that is desperate to be unimpressionable, all of the transitions between songs are incredibly sloppy and jarring. They are particularly gross going into and out of “The Blue Line”; an instrumental with a ton of space that would have benefitted from a vocal guest to keep the song more engaging. A nimble synth bass and wah-heavy guitar compliment the oddball synthesizers of “Taco Mel’s Three Meat Burrito”, although the title’s reference could very well contain more substance than this entire project. The strange, plucky synthesizers of “Big Toe” are an indication of good sound design, but once again the progression goes nowhere and simply repeats into oblivion before the flute heavy “Outro” glides the listener out of this ultimately unsubstantial project.

BEST TRACK: “Slauson Walker ” WORST TRACK: “Surely Unsure”